None So Blind
by MaureenT
Summary: It is said that there are none so blind as those who will not see. This is a story about three members of SG-1 who suffer from cases of self-imposed blindness on matters of the heart ... and one who does not. D&S, J&S, C&V. Not for J&S shippers. COMPLETE. NOTE: Rating changed.
1. Chapter 1

**None So Blind**

**Author:** MaureenT  
**Categories:** Angst, Romance, Drama  
**Content Warning:** Adult Themes, Mild Profanity, Sexual Content, Violence  
**Spoilers:** The Tok'ra, Revisions, 200, Memento Mori, Bounty, Unending

**Author's Notes: **This story takes place sometime after the events of Ark of Truth. Most things in this universe happened the same as they did in the series, with two important exceptions: Sam broke up with Pete right after Chimera, and the events in Unending were completely different in some ways. The story contains a Daniel/Sam and Cam/Vala romance.

* * *

CHAPTER ONE

Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter couldn't stop smiling. For so many years she'd waited for this moment. Sometimes, it seemed like forever. Now that it was finally here, she felt like pinching herself to make sure it was real.

Two months ago, Jack had surprised everyone by announcing that he was retiring. Now that the Goa'uld were all but gone and the Ori had been dealt with, along with all their followers, he'd decided that it would be a good time to start collecting his military pension and let others deal with the stuff at Homeworld Security.

Three weeks later, Jack was officially within the ranks of the retired. His ex-teammates – along with Cameron, Vala and several others at the SGC – threw him a retirement party at Daniel's apartment. He then flew off back home to deal with selling his house, having no intention of staying in the DC area now that he didn't have to do so. He had not yet decided where he was going to live.

The day before yesterday, Jack called Sam and told her that he was going to be back in Colorado Springs for a while. That was followed by him asking her out on a date. For a second, Sam was so tongue-tied that she couldn't speak. When she found her voice, it was used to utter an enthusiastic acceptance.

The big event was tonight, and Sam was so nervous that she hadn't been able to sit still all day.

A good two hours before Jack was scheduled to pick her up, Sam began to get ready. It turned out that she needed every minute of it. It took her forever to decide what to wear, then she spent ages with her hair, trying several different styles before settling on wearing it up.

When the knock on her door came, Sam's heart began to race. Calming herself with an effort, she opened it to find Jack on the other side, looking quite distinguished in a light grey suit.

"Wow," he said. "Sam, you're a knockout."

Sam blushed and smiled. "Thank you, sir."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Sir? We're going on a date, Sam."

Sam shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir . . . I-I mean Jack. Old habits die hard."

"Well, I'd better not hear that word pass your lips again this evening, Sam. If I do, you'll give me a complex."

Sam smiled again. "I'll remember that . . . Jack."

Sam got her coat and purse, then they headed off to the restaurant. After ordering, they slipped into casual conversation, wandering from topic to topic, though Jack stayed away from anything that was of a personal nature. Sam wasn't surprised when the subject of hockey entered the conversation. Apparently, Jack's favorite team had won a game recently, and he was really jazzed about it. As he described some of the highlights, Sam tried to remain interested in the conversation, but her attention kept wandering. She glanced about the room, seeing other couples talking and laughing, looking happy. She was happy, too. Okay, so maybe this wasn't going exactly like she'd imagined their first date would be, but she really shouldn't have expected it to be that way. In her fantasies, she'd imagined Jack being oh so very romantic, his brown eyes always on her, talking to her about things that really mattered, opening up to her about stuff. But come on. How realistic was that? This was Jack. She couldn't expect him to act differently just because they were on a date.

His narration of the big game complete, Jack asked what she'd been doing lately. Being in a public place, she couldn't tell him anything classified, but she _could_ tell him about a little science project she'd been working on at home. She began to explain it, but about five minutes in, she noticed that it was now Jack's attention that was wandering.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I know you're not interested in things like this."

"Yeah, but that's okay. You wouldn't be you if you didn't technobabble at least once in a conversation. I've come to expect it." Jack smiled. "I'd think you were an imposter if you didn't."

Sam returned the smile, although, way deep down inside, she was a little disappointment that, even on their date, he hadn't made an effort to at least try to be interested in the science that was so important to her. That was another part of her ridiculous fantasy about this date, that Jack would listen to her spout off "technobabble" and actually pay attention. She should have known better. Jack would always be Jack in that regard. But she loved him anyway, even if he had no interest in a lot of the things that interested her. There were plenty of things in which they shared an interest, like the Air Force, and motorcycles, and stargazing, and. . . .

Sam frowned internally. Okay, there had to be some other things they both liked. She just couldn't think of any at the moment. When they were on overnight missions, they always had plenty of things to talk about around the campfire. Well, actually, the bulk of the conversation was always between her and Daniel, but Jack became involved, too.

Just then, the food arrived. They spent the next few minutes concentrating on their meals, each of them asking how the other's was. Sam smiled when she recalled the last time that she and Daniel ate together outside the SGC. They got together for lunch and ended up sharing part of their meals with each other, chatting away the whole time they were eating. It was great, something they hadn't done in far too long.

"What's the reason for the smile?" Jack asked.

Sam's attention returned to him with a start. "Oh, nothing. I was just recalling something. It's not important."

The conversation from then on was mostly small talk and things in the news. After the meal was finished, they headed over to the restaurant's bar and talked some more over drinks.

"So, would you like to go someplace else?" Jack asked as they left the place an hour later.

Sam glanced at her watch. "I really wish I could, but I need to get up early. We're running a gate diagnostic in the morning." She wondered why it was that she didn't feel more disappointed than she did that the date had to end early.

"Ah. Well, I'm planning on being here a week, so how about a second date?"

Sam smiled at him. "Sure, I'd really like that. But why are you going to be here that long?"

"I'm taking the opportunity to visit some old friends while I'm here. I'm also sort of thinking of moving back here, and I want to check the housing situation."

Sam's smile got bigger. "Really? That's great! We've all missed having you around here."

"Yeah, I'll take Colorado Springs and the people here over DC any day of the week."

Jack drove Sam back to her house and accompanied her to her door.

"I'll be stopping by the base tomorrow, so I'll see you then," he said.

"Okay."

There was a brief moment of awkward silence, then Jack said good night. Sam watched him walk to his car. He gave her a jaunty wave, then got in.

Sam went into her house, trying to ignore the sharp pang of disappointment that yet another part of her dream date hadn't been fulfilled. In it, Jack gave her a kiss that was supposed to be light, but ended up deep and explosively passionate. Whenever she really let her imagination go, the kiss led to both of them in bed, making love.

This was another thing she really shouldn't have even hoped would happen. After all, after more than ten years of being her superior officer, it was going to take Jack a while to adjust to acting a different way around her. Their second date would be much better. He'd be more relaxed and feel freer and more confident about this step they were taking toward a romantic relationship.

Nodding to herself, Sam headed toward the bedroom to get dressed for bed.

* * *

Daniel stared in fascination at the computer monitor. It was presently displaying some of the latest data sent over from Atlantis. The archeologist always eagerly looked forward to each data download, for the chance to dig into more information about the Ancients and the city they built.

Daniel knew that if he was right there on Atlantis, he wouldn't have to wait for the tantalizing bits of knowledge that were sent through to them. He could delve into the seemingly endless cache right at the source. It was something he'd been thinking about a lot lately. Cameron Mitchell was well aware of that fact and hadn't been shy about letting Daniel know that he would not be happy if the archeologist transferred to Atlantis.

Daniel thought back to a recent conversation he had with Sam about the transfer.

_"We'd really miss you around here, Daniel," the astrophysicist said in a heartfelt tone of voice. "And think about this. Now that the Ori are no longer a problem, we might be able to get back to doing more exploration. I know that you always enjoyed that. Of course, the Lucian Alliance is still out there, but we wouldn't be dealing with them all the time."_

_"I know, Sam. It's just that I've wanted to go to Atlantis ever since we discovered it. That little trip there last year certainly didn't give me any time to do what I really want to."_

_"Have you talked to Cam about this?"_

_"Yes, and he's not happy about it."_

_"I don't blame him. You are an invaluable member of SG-1. It would be a big detriment to the team if you left."_

_"I don't know yet what I'm going to do, Sam. Right now, I'm just thinking about it. And it's not like it would have to be a permanent transfer. I talked to Landry last week, and he said that he could arrange for me to spend three or four months there. I could learn a lot in that amount of time."_

_Sam gave him a fond smile. "Well, I guess we could survive without you for that long."_

A faint grumbling sound brought Daniel's attention back to the present. He looked at his watch and saw that it was after 8:30. He'd skipped breakfast due to his eagerness to take a look at the Atlantis stuff, and his stomach was now reminding him of that fact.

Deciding to go get something to eat, he headed over to the commissary. After getting his food, he noticed Sam sitting by herself at a corner table and took his tray over there. She was staring at her plate of food, apparently so lost in thought that she wasn't even aware of his presence.

"Stargate Command to Colonel Carter," Daniel said.

Sam blinked and looked up at him with a startled expression. "Daniel! How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long. So, is this seat taken?"

"Nope, it's all yours." She watched the archeologist as he sat down across from her. "So, I should imagine that you're already digging into the latest data from Atlantis."

"Yep. There's a lot of historical information this time." As he ate, he gave her a brief rundown of what he'd read so far. "So, what about you? I noticed that there's quite a bit of technical data."

"Oh. Um, no, I haven't gotten around to looking at it yet."

Daniel studied her face. "Is something wrong? You were pretty deep in thought when I came over here."

Sam was silent for several seconds. "Did you know that General O'Neill is in town?"

"Yeah, he called me a couple of days ago to let me know he was coming. He's supposed to be coming to the base today."

Sam started playing with the food on her plate. "We went on a date last night."

A long moment of silence greeted her revelation, followed by a single word.

"Oh."

Sam lifted her head and stared at Daniel, whose own gaze was now upon his food. There was a slight frown puckering his brow.

"What's wrong? Are you surprised? I know that we never actually talked about this, but I thought you knew that—"

"I did. I do." Daniel sighed and looked at her. "I'm sorry. I should have figured that you might do that now that Jack's retired. So, how did it go?"

"It was nice."

Daniel's eyebrows rose a notch. "Nice? Excuse me for saying this, Sam, but shouldn't it have been more than just nice?"

"Well, this is a big change for us. It'll take a while for us to adjust to this kind of change in our relationship."

Daniel studied her closely. "Why am I not hearing the ring of confidence in your voice?"

"Oh, it's stupid, Daniel. You'll probably laugh at me."

Daniel's intense blue gaze met hers. "Sam, when have I ever laughed at you?"

Sam went back to playing with her food, pushing it around the plate. "It's just that I sort of . . . imagined what our first date would be like. I had a lot of years to think about it, dream about how it might be."

"And reality didn't live up to the dream?" Daniel guessed.

Sam set her fork down. "Like I said, it was stupid. I had this unrealistic vision in my mind, and, now, I'm acting like a pouting teenager whose fantasy date didn't come true."

"I'm sorry," Daniel said.

Sam put on a smile. "I'm sure it'll be much better on the second date."

Something flickered in Daniel's eyes, but it was gone so quickly that Sam couldn't read it.

"Second date?" he inquired.

"Yeah. We haven't settled on a day yet, but it'll be sometime before he leaves."

"I see. Well, I'm sure you're right that the second one will be better." Daniel glanced at his watch, then stood up. "I really should get back to work."

Sam frowned. "But you just got here. You've hardly touched your breakfast."

"Yeah, I guess I really wasn't all that hungry. I'll get something later."

Saying goodbye to Sam, Daniel threw away his uneaten breakfast, then went to his office. He got on his computer, resuming his study of the Atlantis data. He'd been at it for only a few minutes, however, when he could no longer keep the thoughts in his mind at bay. With a sigh, he looked away from the monitor and just stared unseeingly at the wall across the room.

He really should have known this was going to happen. As soon as Jack made the announcement about the retirement, he should have guessed that it would only be a matter of time before Jack and Sam started dating. He'd known for years that they had feelings for each other that were more than friendship. The problem was that he'd fooled himself into believing that those feelings were in the past. It was a stupid thing to do, and, now, he was paying the price. Instead of being braced for Sam's announcement, it caught him off-guard.

Well, now that he knew, he could shore up his defenses, reinforce the walls. He'd be able to smile as she told him about her dates with Jack. And when she expressed how happy she was that she and Jack were finally together, he'd be able to say convincingly that he was happy for her. She would never know his real feelings. She'd never know that he was completely in love with her.

* * *

It was ten o'clock when Jack arrived at the SGC. His first stop was to Landry's office to shoot the breeze for a while. He then went to Daniel's office. He found the archeologist frowning over some paperwork.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you that your face would freeze like that?" he asked.

Daniel looked up at him. "No, but one of my foster mothers did. Since she often had a frown on her face, and it never seemed to get stuck like that, I didn't believe her." He set the papers down. "So, how is retirement treating you?"

"I'm bored."

"No surprise there."

"I'm going on a fishing trip next week."

"That's no surprise either."

Jack paused. "I'm going to ask Sam to come with me."

Daniel tried his very best to ignore the sharp jab of pain in the region of his heart. His gaze went to the papers on his desk.

"I'm guessing that _did_ surprise you," Jack remarked.

Daniel got control of his emotions and looked at Jack. "It just seems a little . . . ambitious to me. You've only been on one date."

Jack's gaze sharpened. "You know about the date?"

"Sam told me."

"Ah. Well, yes, to some, it might seem ambitious of me to be asking her to go away with me when we've been on just one date, but I have actually asked her to go fishing with me before, more than once, in fact."

"Yes, but that was just as a friend."

"Yeah, you're right about that. Okay, so the truth is that, now that Sam and I can do something about this thing between us, I just see no point in dillydallying around."

Daniel was feeling a bit confused. If Jack was so eager to get the ball rolling, then why was it that Sam was disappointed with their first date? It was pretty obvious that nothing much happened on it. If it had, Sam wouldn't have been disappointed. So why the sudden push forward?

Jack was now frowning. "I get the distinct impression that you don't approve."

"I just think that you and Sam should get more comfortable in your new relationship before going off together somewhere. And I also think that when you _do_ go off somewhere together, it should not be on a fishing trip. Have you forgotten what happened last time?"

Daniel was referring to the trip that SG-1 took to Jack's cabin in Minnesota. Sam enjoyed herself the first day, but then she started to get bored and restless. When Jack found out that she'd brought a laptop, he hid it, which definitely did not make Sam a happy camper. He gave it back after two hours of the deep freeze treatment.

"That was different," Jack declared. "She and I weren't dating then."

Daniel couldn't stop himself from getting a little mad. "So, now that you're dating, Sam is supposed to instantly start liking fishing."

"Well, no, I don't expect it to be instantaneous, but I'm sure that she'll come around to liking it."

"And will you be coming around to liking science?"

"That's different."

It was Daniel's turn to frown. "How so?"

"Fishing is fun. Science is work."

"Fishing is fun for _you_, Jack. _Science_ is fun for Sam, something that you already know."

"Yes, and that's something that I totally do not understand."

"Yet that's the way Sam feels. I just don't think it's fair that you expect her to start liking the things you like, yet you have no intention of even trying to get interested in the things she likes."

Jack stared hard at Daniel. "Why are you so pissed off?"

"I'm not pissed off."

"Yes, Daniel, you are."

The archeologist paused. Jack was right. He _was_ pissed off. He'd let his feelings get the better of him despite his best efforts. He couldn't help but think that if _he_ was dating Sam, he wouldn't expect her to gain an interest in archeology just because they were in a romantic relationship. He loved Sam just the way she was and wouldn't want her to change. But he wasn't the one she was dating.

Daniel drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm sorry. It just irks me when somebody expects the person they are involved with to change to suit their desires."

"I don't expect her to change."

"But you expect her to come to like fishing. Isn't that a change? And what about hockey and other sports?"

"Well, it would be nice if she could watch the games with me on TV or go with me to a game now and then. I mean, you're supposed to do things with the person you're dating."

"So if Sam wants to go to a museum or some science fair, you'll be right there with her?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably. "I . . . might be."

_'Yeah, for all of an hour. Then you'll want to leave,'_ Daniel thought to himself. He didn't say that aloud, though he was very tempted to do so. This was none of his business. He needed to stay out of it and let Jack and Sam work it all out themselves.

"You know, this isn't exactly how I expected you to react," Jack said.

Daniel stared at the screensaver on his computer. "How did you expect me to react?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe with a little encouragement, perhaps some words of support."

That made Daniel feel bad. He _should_ be showing his support. Jack and Sam were two of his best friends, and they were finally going to get what they'd both wanted for a long time. Even if he could not find personal happiness in that, he should try to be happy for them.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm sure that you and Sam will have lots of fun." Desperately needing to get the topic off Jack and Sam's relationship, he asked the ex-general how long he was going to be in town.

"I'm thinking a week. I'll be leaving for the fishing trip from here. I have all my gear and some for Sam, too, if I can talk her into going."

So much for getting the topic off Jack and Sam.

Daniel picked up the paperwork. "I really need to get this finished, Jack. General Landry is expecting it by noon."

"Okay. How about if we all get together for lunch, you, me, and Sam? Heck, Mitchell and Vala can join us, too. Too bad Teal'c's off doing stuff with the Jaffa. Then we could have the whole gang there."

"Sounds good." At least he could be sure that there wouldn't be any discussions about Sam and Jack dating.

By the time Daniel headed to the commissary, he was certain he had a handle on his emotions. He was the second person to arrive, Sam having been the first. They were talking about the data that came over from Atlantis when she suddenly stopped speaking, her eyes on something over Daniel's shoulder. He turned to see that it was Jack. Returning his gaze to Sam, he watched as a smile spread over her face, a happy light in her eyes. He immediately looked elsewhere.

Daniel was glad when Cameron and Vala showed up just a few seconds later. The bigger crowd would mean more people to talk to, which would enable him to ignore anything that might go on between Sam and Jack.

Unfortunately, that proved not to be the case. Even with all the conversations going on, Daniel couldn't help but notice the occasional glance that Sam shot toward Jack and the ones Jack gave her. He was relieved when the lunch ended, and he could escape back to his office.

His relief didn't last long, however. Vala came bouncing in around half an hour later.

"I bet I know something you don't," she said with a smile.

Daniel sighed. "And what is that, Vala?"

"There's something going on between Samantha and General O'Neill . . . or should I call him Ex-General O'Neill now?"

"I hate to disappoint you, Vala, but I already know."

"You do? Pooh. I was looking forward to telling you all about the little glances I saw them exchanging throughout lunch. So, are they lovers now?"

Daniel instantly felt his lunch sour in his stomach. "No, they've just started dating. And that's all I'm telling you, so don't bother pushing for more."

"But—"

"No!"

A long, heavy moment of silence followed Daniel's outburst, one caused by surprise on Vala's part and chagrin on Daniel's. He hadn't intended to yell at her.

The archeologist let out another sigh. "Look, Vala. I'm sorry I yelled, but this is Sam and Jack's business, not yours and not mine. I'm not discussing it any further."

Vala was staring at him closely. "You're upset."

"No, I'm not," Daniel instantly denied.

"Yes, you are. You're also not a very good liar, well, at least not good enough to fool me. I'm an expert at spotting lies and deception, probably because I'm also an expert at doing both of those things. So, now, I have to ask myself why you're upset. Don't you approve of the relationship?"

Daniel turned his gaze to something on his desk. "I'm sure they'll make each other very happy."

"But it won't make _you_ happy." Vala smiled teasingly. "Daniel, are you secretly in love with General O'Neill?"

Daniel rolled his eyes with a sigh and picked up a sheet of paper with a translation he'd been working on.

Vala kept staring at him. "Are you secretly in love with Samantha?" She didn't fail to notice the way his grip tightened ever so slightly on the paper he was holding. "That _is_ it, isn't it! You're in love with her. I cannot believe I didn't see this before."

The dark-haired woman gaped at Daniel in stunned silence, shocked that she hadn't been aware of this. All this time that she'd been fantasizing about the two of them getting together, he'd been in love with another woman. Apparently, he was a whole lot better at deception than she'd given him credit. He'd never given any hint of this.

But then she thought about something. When Adria threatened to kill Sam if Daniel didn't do what she wanted, he caved in so fast that the last word of Adria's sentence was barely out of her mouth when he yelled, "All right!" At the time, Vala had believed that it was just Daniel's friendship for Sam that made him give in so quickly, but she now realized that it was more. How long had he been in love with her?

"How long?" she asked, taking a seat.

"I'm not talking about this, Vala," Daniel answered harshly.

"Daniel."

After several seconds, he turned to her. The pain she saw in his eyes made her heart hurt for him.

"We're friends, aren't we?" she asked.

"Yes."

"I swear to you that I won't tell anyone."

Daniel's gaze fell from hers. "I don't know," he finally admitted. "A really long time, I think. I just didn't see it until it pretty much hit me over the head."

"And when was that?"

"You know that when I first descended, I had no memory of who I was. I'd been living with a group of nomadic people on another planet when SG-1 and SG-3 found me. Sam came to my tent to try to convince me to come back to Earth with them, and I . . . felt something. It was strong enough that I asked her if there had ever been anything between us. Of course she said no. Later on, after I got back the memories of my wife, I just chalked it up to my confused emotions over everything that was going on at the time and didn't think much more about it. But then, a few months later, we went on a mission during which Sam and I stayed overnight as guests of a married couple while Jack and Teal'c were staying in another house. We slept in the same bedroom." Daniel saw Vala open her mouth, and he quickly added, "Separate beds. I woke up in the middle of the night. There was enough moonlight coming through the curtains that I could see Sam in the other bed. She looked so beautiful and peaceful lying there, and I just . . . I just suddenly knew. At the same time, I realized that I'd been feeling things for her for a long time but hadn't recognized what was going on because I was still grieving for my wife."

"And you never told her."

"No. I already knew that she had feelings for Jack and that he felt the same. Telling her would have served no purpose except to make her uncomfortable."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm not going to do anything."

"You're just going to stand by and let her get into a romance with General O'Neill?"

Daniel gave a short, humorless laugh. "You act like I have a choice. Sam loves Jack, and he loves her. Nothing is going to change that, certainly not some declaration from me."

Vala thought about that for a moment. Then she smiled. "Well, then, Daniel. I see only one resolution to your problem."

"And what's that?"

"Engaging in lots and lots of sex with someone else. I promise that I'll make you forget all about Samantha."

For one crazy moment, Daniel actually thought about taking her up on her offer. It would certainly get his mind off Sam and Jack, and it had been so many years since he'd had sex that he sometimes forgot what it felt like. But then sanity took hold. He was never the kind of guy who engaged in meaningless sex, and he wasn't about to start now.

"Thanks, Vala, but I'll pass. Now, if you will excuse me, I've got work to do."

Vala paused, then stood and headed for the door. "Let me know if you change your mind about my offer."

"If I do, I guarantee that you'll be the first to know."

Daniel returned his gaze to the translation, hoping that he wouldn't regret having admitted the truth to Vala.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Vala wandered around the SGC with no set destination in mind, her thoughts more on what she'd learned than on where she was going.

She had never wanted to fall in love with Daniel. It was fine when all she felt was lust. Lust was easy. Lust didn't break your heart when it wasn't reciprocated. But then she really got to know Daniel and saw the kind of man he was, someone who was willing to trust her if she showed that she wouldn't betray that trust, someone who was willing to be her friend. That was the beginning of it, when lust gradually transformed into love . . . and when she began to hope that, someday, Daniel would feel the same.

Now, she knew that was never going to happen. Daniel loved somebody else, someone who didn't love him. Sure, she could still hold out hope that he'd eventually turn to her for comfort and for the fulfillment of sexual needs that he'd never get from Sam, but did she really want to be a substitute? Could she handle hearing Daniel cry out Sam's name while in the throes of passion? She had no doubt that the sex would be great, but every time they got together, she'd know that she wasn't the one with whom he wanted to be.

No, she decided. She had too much pride and self-respect for that. She wasn't going to be someone's second choice, the person a man chose to be with only because he couldn't have the woman he wanted. Therefore, it was time to get all thoughts of being with Daniel out of her head. She was confident that she could do it. She would not let herself be a slave to unrequited love.

That decision made, Vala's thoughts went to Daniel and his feelings for Sam. He had loved her hopelessly for four years, knowing all that time that she loved someone else. That made Vala feel sorry for him. There must have been times when the pain was almost unbearable.

Making a sudden decision, Vala headed to Level 19 and went to Sam's lab.

"Hello," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Vala."

The dark-haired woman took a seat. "So, I couldn't help but notice that you and General O'Neill were spending a lot of time at lunch looking at each other."

Sam blushed scarlet, mortified that this woman had noticed the glances.

Vala decided to pretend that she was completely in the dark about the relationship. "Are you two having sex?" she asked.

"No!" Sam screeched.

"Really? I'd certainly have thought you were."

Sam glared at her. "If you must know, we've started dating."

"Ah. Two dates? Three?"

"One . . . so far."

"Only one? Tisk tisk, Samantha. A lady should never let a man know so soon that she likes him that much, and he surely does know after all that time you spent ogling him."

"I was not ogling!" Sam snapped. "And since when are you a lady? From what I heard, you've repeatedly thrown yourself at Daniel even though he's made it clear that he doesn't want you."

That comment hurt, and Vala looked away. Seeing the pain that had flashed over the other woman's face, Sam felt bad.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Vala lifted her head. "No, I deserved it. I shouldn't have said what I did. And you're right. I did throw myself at him. But no more. I'm done with that."

That surprised Sam. "You are? Why?"

"Because I finally realized that it was never going to work, and I'm not going to waste my time and energy pursuing a man who will never want me like I want him."

"I'm sorry, Vala."

Vala stared at her. "You say that like you really mean it."

"I do. I know what it feels like to . . . care about someone you believe will never be yours."

"You are talking about General O'Neill."

Sam paused a while before answering in the affirmative.

"Then you've felt like this for him for quite a while."

"Sometimes, it feels like forever."

"And he's felt the same all this time?"

"I don't really know when he started feeling something for me, but it's been a long time for him, too."

"Then why didn't you do something about it before now?"

"Because it was against regulations."

Vala snorted. "If I wanted a man, I wouldn't let a little thing like regulations get in the way."

"Of course _you_ wouldn't, but the general and I care about our careers and had too much respect for the oaths we took to toss out the regs and have an illicit love affair."

"But, now, he's retired, and regulations are no longer a problem."

"Yes."

Vala studied the woman before her. "I have to admit that I'm surprised."

Sam frowned. "Surprised? Why? About what?"

"General O'Neill just doesn't strike me as your type."

"Why not?" Sam then thought of something. "Wait a minute. If he doesn't strike you as my type, then why did you come up with that wedding scene when we were all talking to Martin Lloyd about the movie?"

Vala waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, that. I wasn't being serious. I picked the general because I wasn't about to pair you with Daniel, even if it was fake, and pairing you with Teal'c would be something I couldn't possibly imagine happening."

"And what about Cam?"

Vala paused. "Well . . . if I must be completely honest, I've thought for a while now that, if I couldn't have Daniel, Cameron would be quite satisfactory as a second option."

Sam fought really hard not to laugh. She could only imagine the look that would be on Cam's face if he knew that he was viewed as a satisfactory second option by Vala. Considering the fact that the woman had now give up on getting Daniel, he'd probably run for the hills.

"All right," she said. "So why doesn't the general strike you as my type?"

"Oh, I just pictured you going for someone who was more like you. You know, brilliant, passionate about his work, spouts off things that nobody else understands. Of course, I don't know much about General O'Neill, so I'm guessing that you and he must have many things in common that I am simply unaware of."

Sam didn't reply for several seconds. "We, um, do have some common interests. No, he's not a scientist, and he doesn't share my passion for work, but he has a lot of wonderful qualities. I have great respect for him and have always admired his dedication to the service and to the people under his command. He is one of the finest commanders I ever served under."

Vala couldn't help but think that what Sam had said was a fine statement for someone in the military to say about a superior officer, but it wasn't even remotely romantic.

"I see. Well, you don't have to have a lot in common with someone to have fantastic sex. I was always quite certain that Daniel and I would be amazing in bed."

Sam didn't know if she should be embarrassed by the woman's uninhibited statement or offended that Vala seemed to be implying that great sex was all she'd have with Jack. The latter won out.

"You talk like that's all he and I could expect from our relationship, and I have to say that's pretty insulting."

"Oh! Is that what it sounded like? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to give you that impression. I'm sure that you and the general will be quite happy together. I mean, you love him, right? That's all that matters. Doesn't one of your songs say that all you need is love?"

Sam frowned. "It wasn't really talking specifically about romantic love."

"Oh? My mistake." Vala got off the stool. "Well, I'd love to chat longer, but I think I'm going to go see what Cameron is up to."

Sam's frown didn't leave her face even after Vala was gone. She was feeling the need to defend her feelings for Jack, which was ridiculous. She didn't need to defend them to anyone, certainly not to Vala Mal Doran, who'd probably never had a relationship with anyone that lasted more than a couple of years, including all the marriages she'd mentioned. She'd certainly dumped poor Tomin as soon as it was possible to do so.

Putting it out of her mind, Sam firmly turned her attention back to work. She'd been at it for around an hour when Jack came in. She gave him a smile.

"Hey," she said.

"Hello. So, I thought that we should make plans for that second date."

Sam's smile got bigger. "Sure."

"How about tomorrow night? You're off on Friday, right? That means we could stay out later."

"That would be perfect."

"Good. Say eight o'clock, then?"

"Okay."

"All right. I'll see you then."

* * *

Sam was a lot calmer preparing for the second date. She was also determined not to have any unreasonably high expectations. It was only their second date, after all.

It turned out that she did enjoy the second date more that the first. The conversation was a bit more personal, though Jack still didn't delve into private emotions or really personal thoughts. But then, she wouldn't expect him to do so. He was a very private man and didn't often touch on that stuff.

After dinner, he asked if she'd like to go dancing. When she said yes, they found a club that was aimed at mature adults rather than twenty-somethings. As they danced, Jack did not hold her close in his arms, cheek pressed against her hair, which was a little disappointing, but Sam reminded herself again that this was only the second date, and he probably didn't want to seem too forward.

It was going on midnight when they left the club. Upon arriving at Sam's, Jack again walked her to her door.

"I had a great time," he said.

"Me too."

"Well, I should let you get to bed. It's getting late."

Sam didn't reply. She was tempted to take the initiative and kiss him, but she'd never done that before, preferring that her date make the first move.

Jack did finally make a move. After a long hesitation, he leaned forward and briefly kissed Sam's cheek. Then he smiled at her, wished her a good night, then headed for his car. This time, Sam went inside before he got to it.

Okay, so she was disappointed that it was only a kiss on the cheek. She'd wanted more. But maybe Jack was feeling nervous about jumping right into the bigger stuff. They were still adapting to this change in their relationship. She just needed to be patient, that's all.

Sam had just started getting dressed for bed when her phone rang. Wondering who would be calling this late at night, she looked at the Caller ID, her heart skipping a beat when she saw that it was Jack.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No. Is something wrong?"

"No. I just, uh . . . I have a fishing trip planned on a sweet little lake in Washington State. A buddy of mine has a cabin there. I'll be heading straight over there from here."

"Oh. It sounds nice."

"Would you like to join me?"

Sam's heart didn't just skip a beat, it started leaping around in her chest like a Mexican jumping bean.

Jack resumed talking. "I know it's rather short notice, but, knowing you, you've probably got tons of leave time accrued. I was figuring on a week, including travel time. We could do some fishing, maybe take some walks. And, yes, you can bring a computer, if you really want to."

Sam didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'd love to go with you."

"Great! We can discuss it some more tomorrow. I'll give you a call."

Sam was grinning now. "Okay."

"Well, good night, then."

"Good night, Jack."

Sam hung up, then had to stop herself from doing a little happy dance. Alone with Jack in a cabin out in the woods. Okay, so she'd learned last time that she could only take so much fishing before she got totally bored, but things would be so much different this time. It would be just the two of them, and there were no longer any regulations in the way.

Sam spent a great deal of the next day preparing for the trip. Though she knew that it was rather presumptuous of her to do so, she went out and bought some very sexy lingerie, not wanting to wear anything that she'd purchased when she was dating Pete.

When Sam went to bed that night, her thoughts were on how wonderful it was going to be if she was given the opportunity to wear her new purchases.

* * *

Sam put in the request for some leave first thing the next morning, and it was granted. She was coming back from Landry's office, feeling quite happy, when she ran into Cam.

"Well, that's quite a smile you've got there," the leader of SG-1 said. "May I ask the reason for it?"

"Oh, um, I'm just happy about something. Oh, by the way, I'm going to be taking some leave, seven days, starting Tuesday."

"Really? Planning on going somewhere?"

Sam smiled again. "Yes, I am."

Cam looked at her more closely. "Alone?"

"Cam!"

"Oh, come on, Sam. You think I don't know what's going on?"

Sam was now feeling more than a little embarrassed. "How'd you find out?"

"Vala."

Sam shook her head. "I should have known. All right. General O'Neill is going on a fishing trip, and he invited me along."

Cam's eyebrows rose. "You? Fishing?"

"It's not the first time. Daniel, Teal'c and I all went with him to his cabin in Minnesota a couple of years ago and did some fishing."

"And you enjoyed it?"

Sam paused. "Well, for a while."

Cam started to grin. "Then you got bored."

"Yes, but I'm sure that things will be better this time around."

"Well, I hope you have fun."

"Thanks."

It was a couple of hours later when Sam came to Daniel's office and told him about the second date and the trip. As she talked, he felt like someone had taken a meat cleaver to his chest. How he managed to hide his emotions from her was something he didn't know, but, apparently, he had because she seemed to be totally unaware of how her announcement had affected him. He told her it sounded like fun and that he hoped she'd have a good time. Then he told her that he had an appointment to discuss something with a member of his staff, which was a bald-faced lie, but he was struggling not to show how much he was hurting and needed to get her out of there now.

Once she'd disappeared around the corner, he shut the door, leaned back against it, and clamped his eyes shut so hard that it hurt. He made it to his desk and sat down heavily.

_'Dammit. You knew he was going to ask her, and you knew that she might say yes. You were supposed to be prepared for it.'_

Daniel now realized that he couldn't really have prepared himself for that, because, no matter how much he tried, he'd still have been hoping deep in his heart that she'd say no. He was such a fool.

Daniel made it through the rest of the work day by cramming his mind as full of other things as possible. Once he was at home, he tried to keep busy, doing household chores that he'd been putting off, but, as the evening progressed, he found it increasingly more difficult not to think about what might happen between Sam and Jack on that fishing trip. Since not thinking about it was proving to be beyond him, he focused on trying not to let it bother him, to accept the inevitable and move on.

By the next day, Daniel had succeeded in regaining control of his emotions, brutally shoving his pain way down deep inside the same corner of his heart where he'd kept his anguish over his wife's death. In an effort to help him come to grips with Sam's new relationship with Jack, he avoided situations that would bring him in contact with her, eating his breakfast at home and lunch in his office. He did the same thing the following day. He found that, as long as he didn't see Sam, he had an easier time concentrating on other things.

Unfortunately, all the hard work of building the walls around his heart came tumbling down when, late that afternoon, Sam came to his office.

"Hey. Where have you been these past couple of days?" she asked.

"Here mostly. I've been really busy."

"Well, I just wanted to say goodbye before I go. Jack and I will be leaving early in the morning."

Daniel viciously clamped down on the feeling of anguish that ripped through him. "Have a good time," he said, keeping his voice neutral.

"Thanks. I'm sure I will. See you next Tuesday."

As soon as Sam was gone, Daniel got up and headed to the locker room to change. He made the drive home a lot faster than he really should have. Seconds after walking through the door, he was heading to the refrigerator, from which he pulled out a beer. He had never been the kind of man who drowned his sorrows in alcohol, but he was desperately in need of something, _anything_, to take away the pain.

That beer proved to be only the first. A couple of six-packs had been left over from Jack's retirement party, and the archeologist went through both of them. After that, he moved on to the tequila that was also left over from the party. He had no idea when it was that he began to cry.

When a knock came on the door, Daniel ignored it. A few minutes after that, Vala came walking in, having picked the lock. She halted in dismay at the sight of Daniel sitting on the living room floor, his back against the couch, face wet with tears. Her gaze went to the empty beer bottles on the coffee table, then to the mostly empty bottle of tequila in Daniel's hand. She walked up to him and sat beside him on the floor.

"How'd you get here?" he asked, his voice a little slurred.

"I talked someone at the base into driving me."

"Well, you can just have them drive you right back."

"I can't. I told them to leave."

"Then get a cab."

Vala gazed at Daniel. In the time that she'd known him, they had all gone through hell and back, suffering a lot of pain and loss, yet she'd never seen him like this. It hurt a lot to see him this way.

Very gently, Vala took the bottle from Daniel's hand and set it on the table. Then she scooted closer and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Please just go away, Vala," Daniel pleaded, his voice breaking.

"No."

"Why not?"

There was a long moment of silence before Vala replied. "Because I care." It had taken a lot for her to admit that, but it would be worth it if it helped Daniel.

Daniel began to cry again. "I don't think I really knew how much I loved her until now," he whispered. "First, I lose Sha're and, now, Sam, except that I never really had Sam. She was never mine. She was always Jack's, even before they got together." His breath hitched in his throat. "I'm trying to be happy for them, but all I can think about is the two of them alone together in that cabin, i-i-in the bed."

"I'm sure it'll get better in time, Daniel. Time heals all wounds, right?" Even to her own ears, the statement sounded pathetically trite and not at all convincing.

"Yeah, sure. It only took three years and ascending to a higher plane of existence for me to move beyond Sha're's death," Daniel responded, his voice thick with bitter sarcasm. "I'm sure this won't take any longer than that, though I'll have to do it without the ascension. That might make it a bit tougher."

Vala sighed. She studied Daniel closely. Based upon how he looked and sounded, she guessed that he wouldn't be conscious for much longer. She got to her feet and tugged on his arm.

"Come on, Daniel. Let's get you to bed."

"I'm not tired."

"Maybe not right now, but my guess is that will be changing soon."

Getting the very drunk man on his feet and to the bedroom proved to be quite a challenge. After getting him settled in the bed, Vala gazed down at him. He looked back up at her, his eyes appearing even bluer than normal. For a moment, Vala toyed with the idea of joining him on the bed. In his inebriated and vulnerable state, he probably wouldn't resist if she made a move on him. But if she did that, he would forever hate her for it . . . and she would hate herself. As much as she might want him, she couldn't take advantage of him like that.

Daniel fell asleep around two minutes later. With another sigh, Vala went back into the living room and threw away the beer bottles. She found Daniel's glasses on the floor and set them on the end table. She was getting ready to put away the little bit of tequila that was left, then changed her mind and drank it instead.

Vala placed a call for a taxi, which arrived fifteen minutes later. As she got into the car and looked back up at the window of Daniel's apartment, she hoped that he would be able to get past the pain he was suffering and find a way to live with seeing the woman he loved with another man.

* * *

"Oh, God," Daniel moaned from under the covers. What the hell had he been thinking? What possessed him to drink more alcohol in one night than he usually consumed in an entire year? How on Earth was he going to go to work this morning?

Though he wasn't really in any condition to move, Daniel managed to stumble his way to the bathroom to empty his bladder. He then returned to the bed and buried his head under the pillow.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!"

The very unwelcome and way too loud sound of a cheerful voice had Daniel peeking out from under the pillow. Vala was standing in the doorway with a cup of apple juice, a white paper bag, and a grin.

"Go away," Daniel snarled.

"No, I can't do that. I consider it my duty to help you recover from your little bender last night."

"I don't want any help. Go away and let me suffer in peace."

Ignoring his statement, Vala came forward. She set the juice on the nightstand and dug into the paper bag, pulling out a cup of chicken soup and a king-size bottle of ibuprofen.

"I did some research online to find out the best cures here on Earth for hangovers," she explained. "None of them sounded very reliable. Now, if we were on Alpha Telkira, I'd give you some bellon flower tea, and you'd be feeling better in no time. Perhaps we should take a trip there and pick some up for next time."

"There isn't going to be a next time," Daniel mumbled into the pillow. "Never, ever."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, because it certainly wasn't easy getting you off the floor and into bed. I think I pulled a muscle in my back. And I'll have you know that I passed up a golden opportunity to seduce you with my very impressive feminine wiles. But then, with as much alcohol as you had to drink, I have my doubts that you would have been able to perform anyway." The last sentence earned her a heated glare from the archeologist.

After a whole lot of pestering and nagging, Vala succeeded in getting Daniel out of the bed and to the kitchen table, where he drank the juice, consumed the soup, and downed a thousand milligrams of ibuprofen. He then took a shower as Vala tried to figure out how to brew a pot of coffee.

When Daniel came back out of the shower and found a cup of coffee waiting for him, he was rather cautious about taking a sip. His caution proved to be well-founded.

"Gah!" he cried after gagging and spitting out the stuff. "What did you do? Put the entire bag of coffee in there?"

"No. The whole bag wouldn't fit."

Daniel poured all the coffee down the drain, dumped out the overflowing mound of used grounds, then fixed a fresh pot, Vala watching closely so that she'd get it right next time.

As he sat drinking a cup, he looked at Vala, who was sitting across the table eating some cornflakes.

"Thank you," he finally said.

"You're welcome."

Daniel's gaze intensified. "Why are you doing this?"

Vala didn't answer for a moment. "I told you why last night. Don't you remember?"

"Yes, I remember, and I appreciate you coming here last night . . . and this morning." Daniel looked at the clock on the wall. "If we don't leave now I'm going to be late for work."

Filling a travel mug with more coffee, Daniel headed to the SGC with Vala as his passenger. Once inside the base, they went their separate ways, Daniel going to his office and Vala to the gym. She sometimes liked to watch the guys work out and was feeling in the mood to see a bunch of well-built men lift weights. When she got there, she saw that Cameron was one of the men doing that very thing. She watched him for a while, admiring the play of muscles in his slim yet well-formed body. Yes, he would most definitely be a quite satisfactory second option. Actually, now that she knew that Daniel's heart belonged to another, Cameron's position might just be elevated to _first_ option. She still had pleasant memories of stripping him down to his underwear when she was an amnesiac wanting to make sure he wasn't carrying any weapons.

As Cam finished his reps of bench presses and moved on to another machine, Vala sauntered over to him and plopped down onto a nearby bench.

"Good morning, Cameron."

"Hey." He stared at her. "Since I don't think you have an interest in working out, I'm assuming that you're here for the," he waved his hand around at the other guys, "eye candy."

Vala smiled in delight. "Ah, Cameron. You know me so well." She glanced about. "Yes, there is plenty of . . . eye candy here." She then very deliberately turned her gaze back to him and ran it up and down his body.

Cam was surprised to realize that she was hitting on him. She hadn't done that since she came with him to his high school reunion and pretended to be his girlfriend. Though he was flattered, he had no intention of being one of Vala Mal Doran's many conquests.

"So, I was thinking that we could get together for lunch today," the woman said. "It would be even better if we could have it somewhere off-base. I hardly get to go anywhere that isn't on a mission . . . or when I've been kidnapped and lost my memory."

Cam gave her a frown. "Vala, what is this all about?"

"Nothing. Why do you think it's about something? I would just like to go out to lunch somewhere, and since they would never let me do it unaccompanied, I am inviting you along."

"That's it? Nothing more?"

"That's it. I swear."

Cam thought about it. "All right. I do have a hankerin' for one of those big pastrami sandwiches from the deli near my place."

Vala smiled brightly. "I've never had a pastrami sandwich before."

"Well, then I'd say it's about time that you do."

* * *

Daniel massaged his temples, then rubbed his aching eyes. Though it helped, the ibuprofen hadn't been enough to completely get rid of his headache. Of course, it didn't help that he'd started thinking about what might happen once Sam and Jack reached their destination later today.

Daniel's gaze went to a photo on his desk. It was taken during the last year that Jack was a member of SG-1. The four of them were standing side by side, smiling into the camera. Just before the picture was taken, Daniel had dared to place a hand on Sam's shoulder. She'd responded by putting her arm around his waist and smiling up at him. It had made him feel good.

The archeologist recalled what happened just a few days after that picture was taken. She started dating Pete Shanahan. The discovery that she was dating someone totally blind-sided him and hurt like crazy. For weeks he was miserable, until Sam broke off the relationship when she discovered that Pete had done a background check on her because she refused to reveal classified information by telling him what she really did for the military.

This time, things were different. The man Sam was dating now was Jack, the guy she'd cared about like that for years. This relationship wasn't going to suddenly end after several weeks. How the hell was he going to make it through week after week, month after month, as their relationship continued to grow? It was a safe bet that Jack would be moving back to Colorado Springs so that he could be closer to Sam, which meant that, every time they all got together, Daniel would have to sit there and watch the two of them being . . . affectionate with each other. Based upon how he was feeling now, actually watching them being a couple would be almost unbearable.

So what could he to do? Avoiding all situations where he'd see Jack and Sam together would be quite impossible.

That's when Daniel thought of something. No, it _wouldn't_ be impossible. There was a way. He could do the transfer to Atlantis.

A little voice inside Daniel was telling him that going to Atlantis would be running away from the problem rather than facing it, but since this was a problem that could never be resolved if he stayed here, why put himself through all that pain? He had already been thinking about going. Aside from the thing with Jack and Sam, it was something he really wanted to do, although, before, he had been considering making it a temporary transfer rather than a permanent one. Still, it was a big decision to make.

At any other time, Daniel would have chosen to think about it for several days, but, as luck would have it, he didn't have that luxury. At that very moment, the Daedalus was on its way back to Earth on one of its supply runs and would be arriving in five days. It would then remain on Earth for several days before heading off back to the Pegasus Galaxy. So, if he was going to do this, he had to make up his mind now. If he didn't catch a ride on the Daedalus this time, he'd have to wait months before getting another opportunity.

For the next hour, Daniel thought about it, weighing all the pros and cons. In the end, the pros far outweighed the cons.

The archeologist rose to his feet and went to General Landry's office.

"What can I do for you, Doctor Jackson?" the man asked.

"I've made my decision about Atlantis, General. I'd like to put in for an immediate transfer."

Landry frowned. "You're talking about a permanent transfer?"

"Yes, sir. I've decided that Atlantis is the best place for me. Now that the issue with the Ori has been dealt with, there's no reason why I need to stay, and, as you know, I've been wanting this for a long time."

The general was silent for several seconds. "I shouldn't have to tell you that I'm not happy about this. You are a valuable member of the SGC, and I don't like the idea of losing your knowledge and skills. I'm not exaggerating when I say that, without you, it's unlikely that we would have defeated the Ori. Is there anything I can say or do to talk you out of this? As I said before, I'd be willing to assign you to Atlantis temporarily. If, at the end of your time there, you still have your heart set on making it permanent, we could talk about it then."

"I appreciate the offer, sir, but I have made up my mind about this."

Landry let out a sigh. "Very well. I could refuse to allow the transfer, but I'm not going to do that. I am not the only one to have a say in this, however. The final decision is not mine alone."

Daniel got to his feet. "Thank you, General. As you know, the Daedalus will be arriving in a few days, and I'd really like to be on it when it leaves. Otherwise, I'll have to wait for the next time they come here."

"I'll try to get the transfer approved and processed as quickly as possible."

Thanking him again, Daniel left the general's office and returned to his own, his mind and spirit more at peace than it had been since Sam told him about her first date with Jack. He was confident that the transfer would be approved, just as it was last time. In less than two weeks, he'd be embarking on his new life, and he could put all this stuff about Sam and Jack behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

"This is really quite delicious," Vala said after taking a second bite out of her sandwich.

Cameron nodded. "Yep, Freddy makes the best pastrami sandwich in town."

Vala gazed about at their surroundings. They were sitting at a little table outside the deli. It was a bit chilly, so they were the only ones to be doing so, which was fine with her. She preferred the relative privacy.

She returned her attention to her companion, who was dipping a french fry into some ketchup. She was surprised by how much she was enjoying this little lunch out . . . and the company of her companion. On the way into town, the two of them had gotten into a conversation about football. Though she'd heard about the sport, she had never watched a game, so she had next to no knowledge about it. Cam filled her in on the basics, making it sound very interesting and exciting.

"I would very much like to see a football game," she now said. "They show them on television, do they not?"

"Uh huh. Spring college football just recently started its season. ESPN broadcasts games on most days, especially Thursday and Saturday."

Vala began drawing designs on the tabletop with her fingertip. "Would you watch one with me?" She looked up and saw him staring at her. She quickly added, "You can explain what is happening and let me know which team I should cheer for."

"It's up to you which team you want to cheer for."

"Yes, but how will I know which one is more worthy of my support?"

Cam couldn't help but smile at the question. "Well, with football, actually, with pretty much _any_ sport, a team is going to have fans regardless of whether or not it's the most 'worthy'. Besides, how good a team is can vary from season to season, really from game to game." He paused. "But, yeah, I can watch a game with you and explain it as it goes."

Vala beamed at him. "Could we do that this Thursday?"

"Sure, why not."

Vala took another bite of her sandwich, very pleased that Cameron had agreed to watch a football game with her.

As they continued eating their meal, talking about this and that, Vala realized that this was something she and Daniel had never done. Oh, they'd had conversations about things that were not work-related, but they'd never _chatted_, talked for the pure enjoyment of it. And whenever they _did_ talk, they often ended up strongly disagreeing about something.

For the first time, Vala really thought about what a relationship with Daniel would have been like beyond the bedroom. Would all their bickering and arguing have stopped after they became lovers? That was pretty unlikely since the fundamental differences in their personalities, opinions and philosophies would have remained the same.

That's when Vala realized that she'd been blinding herself to the truth all this time. She had never examined the prospect of a romantic relationship with Daniel in a logical way, putting thought into if it could actually succeed. Perhaps in an environment where there wasn't much stress or stuff going on for them to argue about, they would have been okay, but with the lives they had now, they'd likely have been at each other's throats constantly. As sad as it was for Vala to admit, the relationship probably wouldn't have survived for long . . . even if the sex was great.

"Hey. You still with me?" asked Cam.

Vala blinked and returned her attention to him. "I apologize. Were you saying something?"

"Nothing important. So, where'd you go off to just then. You looked pretty deep in thought."

Vala smiled. "It doesn't matter." She looked at his plate. "Are you going to eat all those French Fries?"

Cameron pushed the plate closer to her. "Help yourself."

Vala dove in. "I really should not eat these. I have put on three pounds. You have so many fattening foods here that taste too good to resist."

"Yes, we do love our junk food."

"I will eventually be as fat as I was when I was pregnant."

Cam popped a fry into his mouth. "You look fine, Vala. You still manage to squeeze yourself into those tiny outfits of yours, and I haven't noticed any strained seams yet."

Vala stared at him, smiling ever so slightly. "For how long have you been studying the seams of my clothing, Cameron?"

The pilot looked slightly flustered for a moment. "I haven't been _studying_ them. I just . . . haven't noticed any that look like they're threatening to pop." He looked at his watch. "We need to get back to the base. If you want the rest of those fries, you'll have to take them with you." He got to his feet.

Deciding that she really could do without the calories, Vala took the remaining fries with the trash to a garbage can, the smile on her lips just a little bit bigger.

On the drive back to the base, Cam glanced at Vala more than once. He had to admit that this had been more fun than he'd thought it would be. He had enjoyed their conversations and simply spending some off-duty time with Vala. When you dug under the surface persona that she displayed to the world and got to what lay underneath, she was actually a very interesting woman who wasn't nearly as shallow as first appearances made her seem.

Cam thought about their upcoming plans. Vala had already shown on the basketball court that she was good at sports and very competitive. Watching a football game with her would probably be a hoot. He'd have to make sure he had plenty of snacks and beer at home.

Smiling on the inside, Cameron focused his full attention on the road, very much looking forward to Thursday.

He had that thought in his mind right up to the moment that General Landry called him to his office.

* * *

It was just before two o'clock when Cam came striding into Daniel's office. Judging by the look on the man's face, the archeologist guessed that he'd been told the news.

"What the hell is this about you transferring to Atlantis?" the pilot asked.

"I told you quite a while ago that I was thinking about it."

"So, you just suddenly made your decision without talking to any of us about it again? Why now?"

"I have my reasons. The Daedalus is going to be arriving on Sunday and staying for a week. If I don't catch the ride back this time, I might have to wait several months before I get another chance."

Cameron stared at him narrowly. "What is this really all about, Jackson? My instincts are telling me that there's more to this than you just being in a hurry to delve into all that Ancient stuff."

Daniel turned back to his computer. "I know you're not happy about this, Mitchell, and I'm sorry about that, but my decision is made. I'll make up a list of people that I think would be good replacements for me on SG-1."

Cam kept staring at the archeologist for several more seconds, then, without another word, he left the office. Daniel released the tension in his muscles and closed his eyes. That had not been easy, but it was easier than he knew the confrontation with Sam would be. It wouldn't be fun talking to Jack either.

Daniel's privacy lasted exactly one hour, at the end of which Vala entered the room.

"Cameron just told me that you're transferring to Atlantis."

The archeologist sighed. Ah, yes. There was this conversation, too. "That's right."

"It's because of Samantha and General O'Neill, isn't it."

Daniel thought about denying it, but why bother? Instead, he said nothing.

Vala wheeled over a chair and sat down in it. "I guess I understand why you are doing this, but I still think you're making a mistake. For all you know, things might not work out between them. Then you could have a shot at her."

Daniel almost laughed. "A shot at her? Vala, I know that your opinion about things like this is polar opposite from mine, but even if things didn't work out between Jack and Sam, I'm certainly not going to jump in and suddenly start hitting on her. I am not that kind of guy."

"Well, of course I didn't mean that you should do it right away. It would be best to give it a month or two."

Daniel glared at her. "I'm not talking about this anymore, Vala. Jack and Sam are getting something they've both wanted for a long time, and I'm doing something that I've wanted to do for a long time. It'll all work out for the best." He very pointedly turned away from her and got back to work.

Vala watched him for a while longer than left with a sigh. As she walked, she thought about what was happening. She didn't want Daniel to leave. He was one of the only real friends she had, and it hurt to think of him going off to another galaxy, where she might never see him again.

Something had to be done about this, but Vala didn't know what that could be. If she still had the Kor Mak brackets, she could link herself to Daniel again. That was what prevented him from catching his ride to Atlantis the last time. Unfortunately, the bracelets were beyond her reach now, so she would have to think of something else.

* * *

As she stepped out of the rental car Sam gazed about at their surroundings. The cabin was larger than she had pictured and sat nestled amidst the trees at the edge of a small lake, which sparkled prettily in the late afternoon sun.

"So, what do you think?" Jack asked.

"It's beautiful. Are there any other homes on the lake?"

"Just one on the opposite side, but I doubt anyone's there this time of year. We have this whole place to ourselves."

They carried the bags into the cabin.

"Take your pick of the bedrooms," Jack told her.

Sam examined both bedrooms and chose the one with the dark blue decor, leaving the forest green one to Jack.

Jack started up the gasoline generator, which was the only source of power. He made sure that there was plenty of gas for it, as well as firewood for the fireplace.

"Looks like we're all set," he told Sam. "I'm afraid it's too late to go for a walk, but we could eat an early dinner, then go to the lake and watch the sunset."

Sam smiled brightly. "I'd like that."

After enjoying a quiet dinner together, the ex-general and the lieutenant colonel walked down to the edge of the water. The sun was hovering just over the treetops, turning the clouds gold, pink and purple. As it slowly slipped behind the trees, Jack tentatively put his arm around Sam's shoulders. It was not the first time he'd done that in the years that they'd known each other, but, this time, it meant so much more.

They stayed there until the sun was completely gone, then went back inside, where they took care of unpacking their belongings.

Sam gazed at the lingerie she'd purchased, wondering if she'd be wearing any of it tonight. With a smile on her face, she tucked it away in a dresser drawer. When she emerged from her bedroom, she saw that Jack was pouring some wine.

"Where'd that come from?" she asked.

"I had it stashed in my suitcase." He handed her a glass as she came up to him. "Come on. Let's go out on the porch. It'll be cold out there, so get your coat."

It was, indeed, cold outside, but Sam was feeling pleasantly warm on the inside, the internal glow caused by her companion. He stood beside her at the railing, gazing out at the darkening forest and lake.

"This is nice," Sam said. "When we were fighting the Ori, we seldom had time to just relax and do nothing. I think that was especially true for Daniel. He never stopped trying to find a way to put a stop to the Ori and their followers, staying up all hours of the night. I worried about him sometimes." She paused. "He blamed himself."

"Yeah, no surprise there."

"It wasn't his fault, Jack. None of us could have guessed what that communication device would do . . . and none of us had any idea that the Ori existed."

"I know it wasn't his fault, Sam. I blame the Ancients. If they'd told us what was going on, we'd have steered clear of that galaxy. But, as usual, they kept their mouths shut."

"I'm just glad it's over. We're free of the Ori, and so is the galaxy they enslaved for all those millennia."

Jack looked at her. "Hey. This is a vacation. We're not supposed to be talking about work."

Sam smiled. "You're right. No more talk about work for the rest of the time we're here."

The temperature had dropped quite a bit, so the two of them went back inside. Jack had started a fire earlier, so the living room was nice and warm. They settled on the couch and sipped their wine. The silence stretched on as both of them tried to think of something to talk about.

"It's supposed to be a pretty nice day tomorrow," Jack finally said.

"Oh? That's good. I wouldn't want to get stranded here in a snow storm."

"No danger of that. I'm afraid that swimming will be out of the question, though."

"I bet it's wonderful here in the summer."

"Yeah." Jack looked at her. "Maybe we can come back then . . . or perhaps go to my cabin in Minnesota."

Sam met his eyes. "I'd really like that."

They stared at each other for a long, charged moment. Jack was the first one to start leaning over, but Sam didn't hesitate to close the rest of the distance between them. As their lips met, Sam was expecting to feel an explosion of pleasure, an exquisite flood of sensations. The explosion never came. The light kiss was pleasant, but lacking in any passion.

They drew apart after a couple of seconds and searched each other's eyes. Then they came together again. The second kiss was a little deeper, Jack's arms going around Sam's waist as hers encircled his neck, yet the powerful feelings Sam had believed she'd experience in this moment remained strangely missing.

"That was very nice," Jack said as they drew apart for the second time.

"Yes," Sam agreed despite her puzzlement and disappointment.

"Some more wine?" Jack asked.

"Um . . . sure."

The former general got up and went to the kitchen. Sam took the opportunity to use the bathroom. While she was in there, she stared at her reflection. Okay, so the kisses weren't as earthshaking as she'd imagined they would be. They were still very pleasant. She needed to grow up and stop thinking like some silly teenager who had dreams of the emotional equivalent of fireworks and violin music while kissing the man she loved. She and Jack were still both a little hesitant about this change in their relationship. As they got more comfortable, the kisses would get better.

Certain that she was right, Sam exited the bathroom. Jack was back on the couch, staring at the fire, a slight frown on his face.

"What are you thinking about?" Sam asked as she sat beside him.

"Oh, nothing important. So, I was thinking that we could go fishing tomorrow morning, then take a walk after lunch."

"Sounds good. I assume that there are fish in this lake."

"Oh, yes. Plenty of fish. Perhaps, this time, you'll catch something."

Sam nodded. On that fishing trip at Jack's cabin, she never did catch anything . . . nor did anyone else, despite the fact that there were fish in the lake even though that tape recording from the past said that there were none.

Jack covered a yawn with his hand.

"Tired?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, a bit. The best fishing is early in the morning, so perhaps we should both hit the sack so that we can get up early."

Sam nodded, hiding her disappointment that the evening was ending this way.

They both got to their feet. Wishing each other a good night, they retired to their bedrooms.

The clothes that Sam donned that night were a T-shirt and sweat pants, which she'd brought along in case she decided to go for a jog. She had not expected to be wearing them to bed.

As she lay in bed, the disappointment returned. This was not how she'd imagined things going if she and Jack actually kissed this first night. In her mind she'd pictured their first kiss leading to a second, then a third and so on. She saw them cuddling together before the fireplace, exchanging caresses and intimate touches. In her imagination, that then led to one of two things: both of them stumbling into one of the bedrooms and stripping each other naked or a very sweet, loving kiss good night with a silent promise of much more to come later. Either one of those things would have been great.

Tomorrow, Sam told herself. Tomorrow they would have the whole day alone together, and that would surely lead to some of the passion she had been dreaming of. Today was only just the beginning.

Confident that she was right, Sam closed her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Daniel went back over the list he'd made of the things that would need to be done before he left for Atlantis. Most of his stuff would be going into storage for now. He'd give instructions to Sam and Mitchell on what to sell and give away. What little remained could eventually be brought to Atlantis. He'd picked up some empty boxes on the way home and would get started with the packing tomorrow. He was planning on taking most of next week off so that he could get everything finished. Fortunately, he never did accrue much in the way of possessions after his return from ascension. There was also the fact that he got rid of a bunch of stuff two years ago when he had believed that he was going to Atlantis. Since then, all of his attention had been on fighting the Ori, and he'd seldom spent much time at home.

It was eleven o'clock when Daniel went to bed. As he lay there, he very firmly kept his mind on all the things he needed to do, pushing out all thoughts of what might be happening right now in a certain cabin in Washington. When he finally fell asleep, his subconscious sent him a dream in which he was the one there in that cabin with Sam, the one who took her into his arms and laid her down on the bed, who kissed her, and touched her, and made the most incredible love to her. When he awoke from the dream a while later, he swallowed down the lump that came to his throat over the thought that he would never be the one to do that.

Twice now Daniel had come to love a woman with his whole heart and soul. There would be no third time. He could never allow himself to go through this kind of pain again. On Atlantis, he would pour all that he was into his work and lock his heart up tight. He'd accept that he would be alone for the rest of his life and leave romance and love to others . . . to people like Jack and Sam.

* * *

The sun was just peaking over the horizon when Jack and Sam set up the lawn chairs on the little dock. A while later, they had their lines in the water and began the wait to see if something would take the bait.

"How'd you sleep?" Jack asked after a while.

"Good. You?"

"Good. I much prefer the peace and quiet here over the traffic on the street where I lived."

"Oh! I didn't even think to ask how things are going with selling your house. Aren't you afraid that you'll miss a potential buyer while you're here?"

"No, I took it off the market just before I came to The Springs. The deal on the house General Paine was buying fell through, and he took a liking to my place, so I promised that I'd hold it for him until he could get his wife over there to see it. They were supposed to do that sometime this week."

Sam nodded. General Paine was the man who took over Jack's position as the head of Homeworld Security. She hadn't met him yet, but, from what she'd heard, he was a good man. But then, he would have to be. The president had left it up to Jack to find his replacement, and Jack O'Neill would never pick someone who was a jerk. He'd want to make sure that the Stargate Program and all the people in it were in good hands.

They fell into another long period of silence. Sam's thoughts drifted to what went on when they got up that morning. Their greeting was cordial, not much different from the many times they had said good morning at the SGC. There was no kiss, which was a bitter disappointment to Sam. After they'd taken turns in the shower and gotten dressed, they fixed breakfast, sharing small talk across the table. Then they gathered the fishing stuff and came out here.

Sam was looking forward to the walk they had planned for that afternoon. Surely that would be when they'd kiss again.

Sam found her thoughts drifting to Daniel. She hadn't really thought about it at the time, what with her mind on other things, but he had looked very tired the last time she saw him, his whole body exuding an air of deep weariness. He had said that he'd been putting in a lot of hours.

Daniel had been a workaholic for as long as she'd known him, but, sometimes, he carried it to extremes. Once she got back home, she'd have to drag him away from his office and make him relax, have some fun. Perhaps they could even do something together. There was a new exhibit at the Denver Museum of Art that she knew Daniel wanted to see. It would be fun to go see it together.

A sudden jerk on Sam's fishing line abruptly brought her attention back to the here and now.

"I think I've got a bite!" she cried, jumping to her feet. Seconds later, it was confirmed that she did, indeed, have a fish hooked. "What do I do?"

"Reel it in!" Jack yelled, now also on his feet.

With lots of instructions from Jack, Sam reeled the fish in, her heart pounding with excitement. As she lifted it out of the water and Jack grabbed the line, Sam laughed, surprised at the thrill of the catch.

They got the fish off the hook and placed in the cooler they'd purchased for that purpose.

Jack smiled at Sam. "So, how do you feel having caught your first fish?"

"Great! I didn't think it would be so exciting."

Jack's smile became a grin. "Ya see? I knew that you'd come to like fishing."

After putting fresh bait on Sam's hook, they both settled back down. An hour passed, and the thrill of the catch faded into the monotony of the waiting. Sam found her thoughts drifting again, this time to the project she'd been working on before she left. It was a fascinating project, and she'd love to tell Jack about it, but she knew that he wouldn't be interested.

On the last fishing trip, she and Daniel occupied a lot of their time talking with each other about their respective projects at work. Daniel had still been going through the stuff that Catherine Langford willed to him and was all excited about some of the things he'd discovered in the crates. Too bad he wasn't here now so that she could chat with him and keep the boredom at bay.

Sam blinked, shocked that she'd have such a thought. From the moment Jack invited her on this trip, she'd been excited about the fact that it would be just the two of them, and, now, she was wishing that Daniel was here? No, she did _not_ want Daniel here. If he was here, there would be no hope of romance between her and Jack.

Pulling her attention back to what she was doing, she looked over at the man beside her. He seemed to be perfectly content just sitting there, doing nothing. She envied him for that.

Another hour passed as Sam tried very hard not to be bored. At the end of the hour, Jack caught his first fish, and the excitement returned. After it was in the cooler, Sam excused herself and went into the cabin. She straightened up the kitchen, rinsing off their breakfast dishes. She looked out at Jack, who'd resumed fishing. She really should join him, but she just didn't feel like it.

Sam was beginning to wish that she'd brought her laptop. She had chosen not to because she believed that she would be occupied with other things and wouldn't need it.

Sam fixed herself a hot cup of tea. She was at the table sipping on it when Jack came in.

"I was expecting you to come back out there," he said.

"Sorry. I decided to warm up a bit," Sam lied. "It's still kind of cold out there."

Jack pointed at the cup. "Coffee?"

"Tea."

Jack fixed some coffee and joined Sam at the table.

"I was thinking that we could turn our walk this afternoon into a hike."

"A hike?"

"Yeah. Wayne said that the view from that low ridge to the north is spectacular."

Sam frowned on the inside. She'd been looking forward to a slow, romantic walk, where the two of them could talk, hold hands, be a couple. Hiking up a ridge would totally ruin that.

"Um, I don't know. I wasn't really thinking about doing any hiking."

"You brought your boots, didn't you?"

"Yes, just in case I needed them."

"Come on, then. It'll be fun."

Sam wanted to say no, but she gave into Jack's request.

"Great. We should get started earlier, then, to make sure that we get there and back before it gets dark."

Hearing that, Sam changed her mind about the hike since it would save her from having to go back outside and fish some more.

After packing a lunch and some other things, the two set out on their hike. The first part of it was more like the walk Sam had imagined, minus the hand-holding. They did talk, though. After a while, Jack actually started delving into things that were a little more personal. Sam was thrilled and subtly encouraged him to keep going. The conversation eventually turned to work.

"I have to admit that there were a lot of times when I regretted taking that promotion," Jack said.

"You mean becoming the head of Homeworld Security?"

"No, the promotion to general. Life was so much more interesting when I was a colonel on SG-1. Not that there wasn't plenty of excitement when I was the base commander. What with Ba'al, The Trust, Anubis, and the Replicators, there were plenty of things to get the blood pumping right there on base."

"But you missed going out on missions."

"Yeah. Now, accepting the job at Homeworld Security was the _real_ mistake. I spent way too much time in meetings and at my desk doing paperwork."

"We did miss you there at the base," Sam told him. "Not that General Landry isn't a good commander. He's done a fine job. He's . . . just not you."

Jack looked at her. "Thanks."

They fell silent as the hike continued. They were almost to the foot of the ridge when they stopped for lunch.

It took them two hours to reach the top of the ridge. Once they got there, Sam had to admit that it was worth the trip. The view was magnificent. Far below, the lake shown like a sapphire surrounded by a forest of deep green. The sky was mostly clear now, just a few fluffy white clouds drifting by.

"It's stunning," Sam said. She drew in a deep breath of the fresh mountain air and slowly let it out. She turned to Jack with a smile. Two seconds later, she was being kissed.

When Jack's tongue slipped into Sam's mouth, she felt a little thrill go through her. She enthusiastically returned the kiss, her own tongue venturing past his lips.

As they kissed, delving more deeply into each other's mouths, Sam waited for that explosion of passion, for the fire that she had always believed would consume her. But, though the kiss was definitely pleasurable, the fire was still missing.

When their lips finally separated, they both looked at each other.

"You are quite some kisser, Samantha Carter."

Sam blushed. "Thank you. So are you."

Jack placed another kiss on her lips, this one soft and light. He then turned back to the view, putting his arm around Sam's waist.

They stood there in silence as the minutes ticked by. Sam was trying to figure out why that kiss didn't make her feel more than it did. It was a very good kiss. She hadn't lied about Jack being a good kisser. His kissing skill was not the problem.

Sam was beginning to wonder if she was simply no longer capable of feeling the burning passion that she used to. She recalled what she felt when she and Pete kissed for the first time, what she felt when they made love for the first time. Had the war with the Ori leached all the passion and fire out of her? She didn't want to believe that.

Perhaps something deep inside her was still holding back because of her former relationship with Jack. Subconsciously, she might still have in her mind that he used to be her commanding officer. Yes, that must be it. It was sort of understandable. She was so used to emotionally holding back with Jack that it was taking her brain and body a while to let loose with the passion she knew must still be inside her.

They remained on the ridge for another half-hour, then headed back down. It was an hour before sunset by the time they reached the cabin. They each took a shower, then set about fixing dinner.

After the meal, they returned to the couch. This time, Jack encouraged Sam to curl up beside him. She did so happily, enjoying having him holding her close. When she looked up at him, he kissed her gently. She wondered if tonight would be the night they made love.

Sam was destined for disappointment yet again. At ten o'clock, Jack commented that they should probably get some sleep. As he wished her good night, he gave her a kiss, but it was light and soft and held no promise of more.

Sam was feeling more than a little frustrated as she lay in bed, yet again wearing the T-shirt and sweat pants. She toyed with the idea of stripping off her clothes and going to Jack's bedroom. She bet _that_ would get his attention and result in what she wanted. But no. She had never, ever been that brazen with a man she was dating, and she wasn't about to start now. She was just going to have to wait for the moment when Jack was ready.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Vala poked dejectedly at the food on her plate. For two days now she had been trying to come up with a way to make Daniel change his mind about the transfer to Atlantis or, failing that, throw a wrench into his plan to catch a ride on the Daedalus. If he missed his ride, he'd have to wait for the next time the Daedalus was here, which would be months from now. A lot could happen in that time, like perhaps Samantha and General O'Neill having a huge fight and breaking up.

Vala found that thought more than a little ironic. Here she was, hoping that something would happen that would enable the man she loved to get the woman _he_ loved.

The dark-haired woman really thought about that, what it would mean if it actually happened, and realized to her surprise that it didn't hurt nearly as much as it did in the beginning. Oh, she'd still be thrilled if he was to suddenly fall into her arms and decide that she was the one he wanted, but the pain she felt when she learned that Daniel loved another had faded. So, what did that mean? Vala assumed it meant that her naturally resilient nature was enabling her to quickly move on. Daniel was not the only fish in the sea, after all.

In fact, there was another fish right now.

Cameron carried his tray over to Vala's table and sat down. He speared a chunk of meat out of his stew and shoved it into his mouth.

"I tried to talk Jackson out of the transfer again," he said after swallowing.

"No luck?"

"Not a bit." Cam looked at her closely. "Do you get the feeling that there's more to this transfer than him just wanting to go play on Atlantis?"

Vala was so tempted to tell him the truth despite her promise to Daniel. She knew that, if she did, the archeologist would very likely kill her, but perhaps if Cameron knew the real reason for the transfer, he could come up with a way to make Daniel stay.

The words were right on the tip of Vala's tongue when the very man they were about came walking in. Daniel got in line, not bothering with a tray. He selected a sandwich and an orange, then walked right back out again. He'd done the same thing yesterday, though it was an apple that day. He seemed to already be separating himself from them in preparation of the final goodbye.

Sighing sadly, Vala returned her gaze to her food. Cam, who had also seen the archeologist's entrance and exit, took another couple of bites, though he really wasn't all that hungry anymore.

"Um, Vala, I know that we had those plans to watch football tonight, but I'm really not much in the mood."

"That's all right. Neither am I."

"Maybe we could do it next week."

Neither of them could help but think about the fact that next week would be the last one they'd have with Daniel.

"Yes, maybe next week," Vala responded half-heartedly.

Cam finished his stew, then left, leaving Vala alone again to contemplate a life at the SGC without her best friend. If she thought she had a prayer of getting it, she'd ask to be transferred to Atlantis, too, but she had no knowledge that would be of value there, whereas, her knowledge and experience _were_ a benefit to the SGC. Landry would never go for it.

No, she had to accept that Daniel was going to leave. There was only one thing that would make him stay, and that was something that Vala had no real hope would happen.

* * *

On this, their second full day at the cabin, Sam finally got her romantic walk. They were presently strolling slowly around the lake, watching heron, deer and other wildlife go about their daily business. Around half an hour into the walk, Jack had taken Sam's hand and hadn't let go since then. The touch was making her feel happy, as did the soft kisses they'd exchanged several times. Still no fireworks, but she was confident that would come soon.

The circuit of the lake took most of the afternoon. Dinner that night included steaks that Jack fixed on the grill outside. It was a nice, relaxing dinner filled with quiet conversation.

Afterwards, they found themselves again on the couch. There was one big difference this time. Jack had turned off all the lights except for a single low watt lamp over in the corner.

Bathed in the glow from the fireplace, the two of them didn't talk for a full minute. Jack then turned Sam's face to his and lowered his lips to hers. Sam opened herself to the kiss. He pulled her tighter against him and began to stroke her body, his hands gliding over her waist, her hips, her thighs. His lips left her mouth and began a journey down her neck.

Sam's heart rate began to climb. This was it. It was finally happening. She and Jack were going to make love.

As the touches and caresses continued, Sam suddenly realized that, though it all felt good, it didn't feel _great_. It didn't feel like it should. The passion she'd been waiting for, the explosion of heat throughout her body, just wasn't happening. Why wasn't it happening?

There could be only one explanation.

Feeling her still against him, Jack lifted his head and drew away from Sam several inches.

"Sam?"

"I. . . ."

He stared into her eyes for a few seconds. A sigh escaped his lips.

"It's not going to work, is it," he said.

No, it was not going to work. It _couldn't_ work. She had at last come to see the truth.

Sam turned her head away, feeling awful. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Sam. You have nothing to apologize for, not to me." Jack removed his arms from around her. "I guess it's time that I be honest with you about something. For a while now, I've been sort of . . . questioning my feelings for you."

Surprised, Sam turned back to him. "You have?"

"Yeah. I still care very much, but, somewhere along the way, I just gradually stopped feeling like I used to."

Sam frowned. "Then why did you ask me out?"

"It's pathetic, really. I hoped that, if we started dating, all those feelings would come back. I didn't want to give up on them because. . . ."

"Because you didn't want to live the rest of your life alone."

Jack stared at her penetratingly. "I get the feeling that you're saying that out of experience."

"Yes, I guess I am. The main reason why I started dating Pete was that I wanted someone in my life. I didn't want to be alone anymore. It was the wrong reason to get into a relationship. It wasn't fair to Pete and would have ended up being a disaster if we'd kept going and got married someday, especially since I still had strong feelings for you."

"And what about those feelings now?"

This time, it was Sam who hesitated. "I do still care about you, Jack, but I've finally realized that. . . ."

"You don't love me anymore."

Sam stared at the hands clasped in her lap. "I really thought that I still did. When you asked me out, I was on the moon. But I now know that I was just being blind to the truth. I wanted to still feel that way, because . . . because I didn't want to be alone for the rest of my life either."

Jack almost smiled. "We're a real pair, aren't we. So, what now?"

"I think it would be best if I go back home."

"You don't have to, Sam. We can just hang out as friends."

"I know, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing that. I'm sorry."

Jack nodded. "So, you'll be heading out in the morning?"

"Yeah. What about you?"

"I'll be staying. I will change my flight reservations, though. There's no point in me going back to Colorado Springs, then fly from there to DC. I'll just go straight to DC from here."

Sam searched his eyes, feeling a deep twinge of regret that things wouldn't be working out between them. "Are you going to change your mind about moving back to The Springs?"

"That I don't know. There were other reasons to move back there besides having a relationship with you."

"I hope you still do it. I know that Daniel would love to have you living there again."

Jack gave a little snort. "Now, there's a man I should have listened to. All the times that he's proven himself to be right, and I still haven't learned to take his advice."

Sam's brow knit in puzzlement. "What do you mean? Taken his advice about what?"

"He told me that I shouldn't rush this thing with you. He pretty much said that this trip was a mistake."

"He did?"

"Yeah, and he was right. If I'd taken his advice and not jumped in with both feet, I'd have figured out before we got this far that it just wasn't going to work out. There's no way that I'm going to tell him that, though. The last thing I want is to hear him saying, 'I told you so.'"

That made Sam smile. She got up from the couch. Though it was still early, she decided that it would be best for her to go to her bedroom.

"I'm going to head off to bed. Will you be able to drive me into town in the morning? I can get a bus from there to the airport."

"Sure." Jack rose to his feet. "Good night, Sam." He caught her eyes. "For what it's worth, I'd like to think that, if things had been different, you and I could have been great together."

Sam nodded and turned away, feeling a pang of regret for what might have been.

* * *

The drive to town the next morning was made mostly in silence. At the bus station, Jack gave Sam a hug.

"Even though things didn't turn out like I'd hoped they would, I still had a great time, Sam," he said.

"Me too."

He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Goodbye, Sam. Give my goodbyes to everyone else."

"I will."

Sam boarded the bus and found a seat. She looked out the window at Jack, who gave her a wave. Then he turned and walked away.

The bus ride seemed far longer than it really was, as did the flight. It was early evening when she arrived home. She unpacked, checked her messages and email, then wandered around the house. Feeling restless, she made a sudden decision to go to the base to see if anything interesting was going on there. She'd been there for all of half an hour when Cam came into her lab.

"I just found out that you were here," he said, staring at her searchingly. "Why are you back ahead of schedule?"

Sam squirmed a little under the gaze. "I just decided to cut the trip short."

It was quite obvious that there was more to it, but Cam wasn't going to pry. "Well, I'm glad you're back. Maybe _you_ can talk Jackson out of dong what he's decided to do."

Sam frowned. "What has he decided to do?"

"He's put in for a transfer to Atlantis. He's planning on leaving on the Daedalus next Sunday."

Taken totally by surprise, Sam was at a loss for words for a moment. "He and I talked about him going there for a few months, but I don't understand why he's so suddenly decided to do it."

"Sam, it's not just for a few months; it's a permanent transfer."

"What? But why? Why would he suddenly decide to do that?"

"I don't know. I couldn't get him to tell me, but I got the distinct impression that there is some specific reason why he's decided all of a sudden to do this."

Sam slowly sat down. Daniel was leaving, not just for a few months, but for good. That thought hurt. It hurt a lot. It also made her angry that he'd made this decision while she was gone.

"Is he here?" she asked.

"I think so."

Sam headed straight to Daniel's office. When he saw her come marching in, he was more than a little surprised.

"Sam? Why are you here? Why aren't you with Jack?"

"We can talk about that later. What I want to know is why you've suddenly requested a transfer to Atlantis."

Daniel sighed softly. Guessing that this could get ugly, he shut the door for privacy. He then reluctantly turned back to the angry woman facing him. "We talked about this a couple of weeks ago, Sam. You know that I've been wanting to go."

"Daniel, the last time we talked about it, you said that you hadn't decided on anything. You also said that you could just go there for three or four months. Now, all of a sudden, you've put in for a permanent transfer. And you do it while I'm gone away, without giving me a chance to try and talk you out of it."

Daniel turned away and started straightening some things on his desk. "You didn't try talking me out of it the other time I decided to transfer. Before Vala screwed everything up, I was all packed and ready to go. You were okay with it back then."

"No, I wasn't okay with it, Daniel. The reason why I didn't try to talk you out of it then was that I'd transferred to R&D. I wanted to ask you not to go, but I didn't want to sound like a hypocrite."

Daniel remembered what he'd been thinking when he called Sam and told her that he was going to Atlantis. All during the conversation, he kept hoping that she'd tell him not to go, that she didn't want to lose him. When she didn't, it convinced him that the transfer was the right thing to do.

"Cam thinks that there's a reason why you've suddenly decided to go other than the obvious," Sam said.

Daniel dared not look at her. "What other reason could there be?"

"I don't know."

Sam couldn't help but notice that Daniel was still refusing to look at her, a sure sign that something was wrong.

"Cam's right, isn't he," she said. "There _is_ another reason." Daniel's silence confirmed it. "What is it? Did something happen?" Sam's will hardened. "I'm not leaving this office until you tell me."

He suddenly rounded on her, and she was surprised to see anger and pain in his eyes.

"Fine. You want to know why I'm leaving? It's because I'm in love with you and have been for years! So forgive me if I don't want to hang around and watch you and Jack in a happy relationship together when every time I see you with him, I'm going to wish it was me."

With those words, Daniel rushed past her and out the door, and all the totally stunned Sam could do was watch him go.

* * *

Daniel stared out into the darkened forest, leaning dejectedly against one of the trucks parked on the mountaintop. He had been intending to leave the base, but decided that driving in his state of mind would not be wise. Instead, he chose to come up here.

Daniel felt foolish for running away from Sam like that. His emotions had just finally come to a head, and he couldn't take it anymore. If he'd stayed in that office, he would probably have said things that he'd have regretted later.

Daniel couldn't help but wonder what Sam must be thinking now. He knew that he'd shocked her with his confession. He could only imagine what things would be like between them now. She'd be uncomfortable and ill-at-ease around him. It was doubtful that she'd even be able to look him in the eyes. It was a good thing that he'd only be here another eight days.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned to see Sam. Bracing himself for what was about to come, he pushed away from the truck. As she came to a stop before him, he managed to meet her eyes for all of two seconds before dropping his gaze to the ground.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I shouldn't have said what I did, and I shouldn't have run out like that. I just. . . ." He stopped and shook his head, closing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and met her gaze. She was staring at him, and she looked a little nervous. Was it any wonder? Of course she was nervous. She probably didn't know how to act around him now.

"I know that you're probably feeling pretty awkward now, and I don't blame you," he said. "This is why I never told you how I feel. I knew that it would make you uncomfortable. The Daedalus arrives day after tomorrow, and I'll be on leave while it's here so that I can finish packing, so you won't have to be around me—"

"Daniel, just stop it!"

The exclamation made Daniel's sentence stumble to a halt.

"Don't you think that you should ask me what I want before you go running away to Atlantis?" Sam asked.

"I just think this would be the best thing, Sam. I've told you how I feel. You and Jack are together now, and—"

"No, we're not."

Daniel blinked in surprise. "Y-your not?"

"You asked me before why I was back early, and, now, I'm going to tell you. Things started out all right. We fished, of course, and I actually caught something. We also spent some time walking and hiking, and Jack talked about some personal things. No deep, heart to heart conversations, but I figured it was a good start. When we shared our first kiss, it was nice. I didn't see fireworks, feel the Earth move, or experience any of those other things that the romance novels describe, but I was thinking, 'Hey, I'm an adult, not a lovesick teenager. Let's get real.' With every kiss after that, though, I still kept expecting to feel more than what I was. And then, on the third night, the kissing progressed into something more."

Daniel turned away, pain spearing right through his heart and into his soul. He didn't want to hear this.

"Please, Sam. Stop," he begged, his eyes tightly closed.

Sam's voice gentled. "No, I'm not going to stop, Daniel, because you need to hear the rest. As we're there on the couch, making out, it dawns on me that I'm still not feeling what I should be. Sure, it feels good, but it doesn't feel fantastic. It doesn't feel like I always expected it to feel when Jack and I finally made love. And that's when I realized the truth. I didn't love him, not anymore. Somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling like that, but I was too blind to see it. I'd clung to those feeling for so long that I'd failed to recognize when my love for him faded away. I didn't _want_ to see it. I wanted to still be in love with him. He admitted to me that he'd figured out sometime ago that he no longer loved me either. The dates, the fishing trip, it was all done in the hope that he'd start feeling that way again, because, just like me, he didn't want to be alone for the rest of his life."

Finally, Daniel turned to stare at her. Sam wasn't in love with Jack, and they weren't going to be together. He was having a hard time wrapping his brain around that.

"And so I came home," Sam continued. "Jack's still there. He's going to change his flight reservations and go straight back to DC from there."

"I'm sorry."

"No, you're not."

Daniel paused. "Okay, I'm not, which makes me feel like a jerk. I know you wanted that, Sam, that you've dreamed about it for a long time."

"Yes, I did want it and dream about it. If this had happened a couple of years ago, I wouldn't have left that cabin, and we wouldn't have stopped at just making out. But I went off to Nevada, and Jack went off to DC, and I guess my feelings for him weren't strong enough to survive us being apart. On the trip back home, I had time to think about it with a clear head, and I realized that I should have figured out a long time ago that my feelings for him weren't strong enough. Though I occasionally thought about quitting the Air Force to be with him, I always talked myself out of it, coming up with one reason or another. If I'd really loved him as deeply as I thought I did, I'd have quit in a heartbeat to be with him. My career would have taken second place to being with him." She paused for a moment. "Would you leave the program to be with me?"

"Yes," Daniel instantly replied. There was no doubt, no hesitation, and the intense look in his eyes made her feel a little breathless. It also scared her a bit. Behind that intensity was a whole lot of passion, passion that would likely consume her if given an opening.

Before going in search of Daniel, Sam had done a lot of thinking and soul searching. All these years, she had thought of Daniel as her friend and teammate, someone she loved dearly, but only as a friend. Sure, she'd noticed how handsome he was. She'd found herself admiring his physique on more than one occasion when they were working out together in the gym. But that was only natural. She was a woman, after all. But she'd never thought about him in a sexual way – except once: when she saw him wearing nothing but a flag after he'd returned from what he called the ethereal, almost-ascended-but-not-quite diner. Looking at that gorgeous body of his and knowing that he was completely naked under that flag made Sam's temperature shoot heavenward. Shocked, appalled and terribly embarrassed by the reaction, she swiftly shoved it out of her mind. For several days afterwards, she had a hard time looking at him in the eyes.

As she stood alone in Daniel's office, Sam came to the realization that she had a huge decision to make. If she did nothing, he would go off to Atlantis, and she might never see him again. But what was the alternative? Tell him that she'd be willing to date him and see how it went? Was she really willing to do that? She and Jack had come to the inescapable conclusion that the two of them just weren't going to work out. She didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life, and Daniel was a wonderful guy whom she cared about deeply, got along really well with, and who, unlike Jack, shared her passion for work and actually listened when she was talking about one of her projects.

But did all that mean that they could have a successful romantic relationship? They had the compatibility, the mutual respect, the trust, and the good communication, four things that were important for a strong, long-lasting relationship, but there was also a fifth needed element: love. Daniel loved her like that, but she only loved him as a friend. But then, two people usually didn't already love each other when they started dating. That came later.

She would be taking a huge chance dating him. If she decided that it wasn't going to work out, it would hurt him deeply, and he might never forgive her for giving him that hope only to snatch it away. Yet, if she _didn't_ take that chance, he'd go off to Atlantis, and her opportunity to see if they could have something more than friendship would be gone. She'd live the rest of her life wondering if she had passed up her chance at happiness.

Given all of that, Sam had come to the conclusion that if there was ever a time to go way out on a limp and take a chance, this was it.

"I don't want you to leave the program for me, Daniel," she now said, "and I don't want you to go to Atlantis."

Daniel's heart rate started rising. "Sam, what are you saying?"

"That I want to go on a date with you."

The statement made his pulse skyrocket. "Sam, please don't say that just to keep me from leaving. It would kill me if you're doing this only because you don't want me to go."

"I'm not, Daniel. I can't say that I love you, because I don't feel that way. But I'm willing to see if that can change. If you can accept that I might never feel that way for you, then we can try dating. I do want this, Daniel. Please believe me."

Daniel walked away several paces. He wanted it, too, so very much. But it would rip his heart to shreds if, after a few dates, Sam told him it wasn't going to work. Did he have the courage to take that chance? On the other hand, could he pass up this chance and spend the rest of his life wondering if he'd made a huge mistake? Daniel thought about it for a long moment and knew what he had to say.

He turned back to Sam. "Okay."

She smiled slightly. "Okay?"

Daniel nodded.

Her smile got bigger. "Okay. Technically, I'm still on leave, and I bet that you could get a couple of days off, so maybe we could have the date tomorrow or the day after."

Daniel began to smile. "I'd really like that."

"Great." Sam looked at her watch. "I should go home. I haven't even unpacked yet." She headed for the base entrance, then paused. "Are you going to talk to General Landry and tell him that you've changed your mind?"

Daniel hesitated before replying. "I'll talk to him, but . . . I need to be honest with you, Sam. If this doesn't work for you, if you decide that you can never love me like that, I . . . I can't stay. This whole thing has made that abundantly clear to me. Even though you and Jack aren't going to be together, I can no longer be here and see you every day, knowing that we'll never be more than friends. I love you too much. I'll tell Landry that I want to put the transfer on hold, that some personal things have come up that might make me change my mind."

Sam met his eyes. She hated that his decision to stay or leave would be completely in her hands, but she could understand why it had to be that way. She was really beginning to understand how much he loved her.

With a nod, Sam left. Daniel remained where he was as the minutes ticked by. If he was a praying man, he would send up a prayer that Sam would come to love him, but no amount of prayers would affect the outcome of this. She would grow to love him or she wouldn't, and all he could do was hope with all his heart that she would.

* * *

Daniel went to Landry the next morning. The general was obviously pleased that the transfer request had been rescinded, at least temporarily. It was pretty clear that the man was curious what the "personal reasons" were, but he didn't pry, even after Daniel's request for a couple of days off. Landry readily gave him the time off, which would start the following day.

After leaving the general's office, Daniel went to his office and called Sam to tell her that he got the time off.

"Um . . . would you like to go out tonight or wait until tomorrow night?" he asked, suddenly feeling very nervous.

"What would _you_ like?"

Daniel thought about it. A part of him was eager to go out with her, but he didn't want to rush this date. It was way too important to him.

"I think that tomorrow night would be better. That will give me plenty of time to plan it and get good reservations."

"Okay, sounds like a plan."

"I'll give you a call tomorrow when everything is set."

"All right."

As he hung up the phone, he was smiling. Of course, it was that moment that Cameron Mitchell came walking in.

"Well, you look pleased about something. I'm hoping that it was because Sam talked to you last night, made you see reason, and convinced you that you're needed here by all your friends and teammates."

Daniel didn't reply right away. He really didn't know how to answer. He had to tell Mitchell that the transfer was on hold, but he didn't want the pilot to know why.

"The transfer is . . . on hold," he finally said.

Cam frowned. "But not canceled?"

"Not yet."

"But it could be canceled?"

"Maybe."

Cameron's gaze narrowed. "Okay, Jackson. Cough it up. What's the real reason for this transfer? And don't say again that it's because you want to delve into all that Ancient stuff, because I know there's more to it."

"There was just some . . . personal stuff going on. And don't bother asking me what it is, because I'm not telling you."

Cam crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "And has this personal stuff been resolved?"

"Some of it has. As for the rest, that is something I don't know yet."

Cameron was absolutely dying of curiosity to know what this was all about, but he could tell that pushing the archeologist would do no good.

He straightened and pushed away from the wall. "All right. Whatever it is, I hope it gets fixed. I meant everything I said about losing you from the team."

Daniel gave him a nod. "I appreciate that you feel that way."

Not five minutes after the pilot left, Vala came hurrying in.

"I heard that Samantha is back already," she said. "What happened?"

Daniel paused, wondering if he should reply. Figuring that she'd find out eventually anyway, he said, "Things just didn't work out between her and Jack."

"Didn't work out? What does that mean? They had sex, and it was lousy?"

Daniel mentally shook his head, not surprised that the woman would assume it had to do with sex. "No, it didn't get that far. They just both realized that they no longer love each other like that. You know, I really shouldn't be telling you this. You should have asked Sam personally."

Vala ignored his last two sentences. "So, Samantha doesn't love General O'Neill after all? What does that mean for you? Are you still going to run away to Atlantis?"

"I don't know yet. Sam knows how I feel about her. I had no choice but to tell her."

"And?"

Daniel was getting progressively more uncomfortable. He really didn't want to talk about this with Vala. "And . . . she's agreed to go on a date with me to . . . see what happens."

"Really? I bet you're delighted."

"Vala, just because she's going to go out with me doesn't mean that she's going to develop feelings for me. After a couple of dates, she might come to the conclusion that her feelings are never going to change, and that will be it."

"And if that happens, what then?"

"I'll go to Atlantis."

Vala fell silent. Whether or not she'd have to say goodbye to him was all going to depend on if the woman he loved came to love him, too.

"I really hope that you get what you want, Daniel," she said. The dark-haired woman took a seat. "So, tell me all about your plans for your first date."

"I haven't made them yet. Normally, I'd take the girl out to a nice restaurant, maybe dancing or a movie, but. . . ."

"But what?"

Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe I'm talking to you about this."

"Oh, come on, Daniel. Just think of me as a gal pal who's here to give you her opinion on what she thinks would be the perfect date."

"Oh, trust me, Vala. I already know what you'd consider to be the perfect date."

The woman grinned. "Yes, skipping the dinner, dancing and movie and going straight to the bedroom."

"Uh huh. That's what I thought. That does not qualify as a date and is not what Sam and I will be doing."

"All right, so what's _your_ idea of a perfect date?"

"To be completely honest, I'm not sure. I mean, I've been on my share of dates, some very good ones, but were any of them what I'd call perfect? I don't know. I never got the chance to date Sha're, but I suspect that, if I had, it would have been perfect because of the way I felt about her. I guess I just want this first date with Sam to be something special for both of us. No matter what we do, it'll be special for me because it's with her, but I want her to feel the same way."

Vala stared at him long and hard. "Daniel, are you afraid that if you don't make this date absolutely spectacular, Samantha will tell you at the end of it that there isn't going to be another one?"

Daniel's gaze dropped to his lap, knowing that Vala had hit the nail right on the head. He was terrified that if everything wasn't wonderful and perfect, Sam would decide that a second date would be pointless. He knew that he was doing her a disservice. Sam wouldn't do that to him. She'd give it more of a chance than that. But, even though he knew that, he couldn't stop being afraid.

"It's stupid. I know," he said. "I need to just settle on some plans and not stress out about it. It's just really important to me."

"Well, personally, I think that Samantha is going to love whatever you do."

"Thanks." Daniel looked at his watch. "Now, if you will excuse me, it's time for me to get back to work."

Vala pouted. "But I want to help you plan the date."

"No way, Vala. This is my date, and I will plan it myself."

With a sigh, Vala got to her feet. "Fine. But, if you change your mind, I'm available any time."

After the woman was gone, Daniel did try to get back to work, but his mind kept wandering to Sam and the date. Finally, he gave up. He started searching the phone book to see what would be the best restaurant. Narrowing it down to three choices, he checked each one's Web site. After a while, a frown came to his face. They were all very nice restaurants, romantic atmosphere, good reviews, and two of them had a dance floor. So, why couldn't he pick one? Because any guy could make a reservation and take a girl to a fancy restaurant. Millions of first dates happened that way. But he didn't want this date to be like millions of others. So what was the answer, then?

Daniel sat and thought about it. He'd been like that for around fifteen minutes when he suddenly recalled something. And that's when he knew what he was going to do.

With a little smile, he picked up the phone, hoping that Sam would like the plans that he was going to make.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

Sam couldn't believe how nervous she felt as she got off the elevator of Daniel's apartment. She was actually feeling as nervous as she did just before her first date with Jack. She wanted this date to go well. Was that because she didn't want Daniel to be disappointed or because she wanted things to work out between them? Perhaps it was a bit of both. A relationship with Daniel had the potential to be fantastic. She knew that he'd give her his whole heart, just as he had to Sha're. He'd love her without reservation. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of lover he'd be. He was a very passionate man in many ways. If he had that same passion in the bedroom, the lovemaking would probably be spectacular.

Stopping before Daniel's door, Sam paused, then knocked.

When Daniel answered the knock a few seconds later, his breath caught at the sight of Sam in a black cocktail dress. There were far sexier dresses, but just the thought that it was Sam in it and that she was wearing it for him transformed it into the sexiest thing he'd ever laid eyes upon.

"You look so beautiful, Sam," he murmured.

The blonde smiled, feeling far more pleased at the compliment than she had thought she would. "Thank you." She took in the sight of her best friend dressed in a dark grey suit that fit him to perfection. It really drove home how handsome he was. "You look great, too."

"Thanks. Come on in."

Sam stepped inside. When Daniel asked her to come to his place instead of him picking her up, she'd wondered if he had decided to cook for her, but she couldn't smell any food cooking, and the dining table was bare.

"Okay, are you going to tell me now what you're planning?" she asked.

Daniel gave her a little smile. "You'll find out in a moment." He glanced at the coat draped over her arm. "Is it cold outside?"

"A little, but it's not too bad."

"Good. Come on, then."

They left the apartment and walked to the elevator. Sam's curiosity and puzzlement went up when Daniel pressed the button for the top floor instead of the lobby. When they reached that floor, he surprised her again by taking her up one more flight. Realizing that they were going to the roof, she followed him silently. Her third surprise came when he opened the door, and she saw what was sitting on the roof. A fairly sizable greenhouse took up a good portion of it.

"Whose greenhouse is that?"

"The wife of the building's owner."

Daniel led her to the greenhouse. As they stepped inside, the first thing Sam noticed was the significant difference in temperature. And then she noticed the scent, the aroma of hundreds of flowers filling her nostrils. She looked around at the blossoms.

"This is beautiful, Daniel."

With another smile, he guided her down the row between the plants. Halfway down, there was a row going off to the left and right. He turned to the right, and that's when Sam saw the small table set with candles, china, and a gorgeous floral centerpiece that appeared to have been made from flowers grown right there in the greenhouse.

As they came to a halt before it, Sam gazed down at the table, then at Daniel. He was staring at her, and she could tell that he was worried about whether or not she liked what he'd done.

Before she could tell him what she thought, there was a knock on the door.

"That's probably the food," Daniel said. "I'll be right back."

Sam sat down, her eyes going back to the table, then to the beautiful surroundings. Never would she have guessed that Daniel would do something like this. But then, should she really be surprised? Daniel never did anything by half measures. It warmed her deep inside that he'd arranged all of this just for her.

Daniel returned carrying bags bearing the logo of one of the best restaurants in town. He set the bags down and pulled out the food containers.

"I hope you like what I ordered," he said. "I kind of know what you like and don't like from our team dinners, but we don't exactly go to fancy restaurants for those."

"I'm sure that I'll love it."

Daniel served the food, then took his seat. He was really feeling too nervous to eat. He was so afraid that Sam thought this whole thing was way over the top. Maybe he should have just made a reservation at the restaurant.

"Daniel?"

He looked up at her. "Hmm?"

"This is wonderful."

"The food?"

"No, everything. I've been on plenty of dates, but no guy I've ever dated has done something like this for me." She looked straight into his eyes. "Thank you."

All of the tension Daniel had been feeling drained out of him. "You're welcome. I'm . . . I'm really glad that you like it."

They both smiled, then began to eat. After a while, they started to talk. It was casual conversation, not much different from what they'd shared on other occasions. There was a question, though, that Sam was dying to ask, one that was a whole lot more personal.

"Can I ask you something?" she said at last.

"Of course."

"You told me that you've felt this way about me for years."

"And you want to know how long. I think I started feeling that way a long time before I became aware of it. I just couldn't see it because of my grief over Sha're. I know the exact moment when I figured it out, though. It was the night we stayed with Pallen and Evalla on P3X-289."

Sam's mouth fell open. "It was?"

"Yeah." Daniel repeated to her what he told Vala about that night, the night that changed everything for him. "I think you'll understand when I say that I wasn't very happy about the revelation. I knew that you loved Jack and that you and I could never be more than friends. It . . . hurt a lot to feel those things and know that nothing could ever come of it."

"I'm so sorry, Daniel. I wish I'd known."

The archeologist shook his head. "It would have just made things awkward between us, Sam. It was better that you didn't know."

"I can't believe that you felt that way for all these years, and I never had a clue."

"There were times when it wasn't easy to hide. One of the hardest was when you were dating Pete. And then there was when you decided to transfer to R&D so that you'd be closer to Cassie to help her cope with Janet's death."

Sam's breath drew inward sharply. "Oh my God. Daniel, did you transfer to Atlantis because I went off to Nevada?"

The archeologist looked down at the food on his plate. "That was part of it. Jack's promotion was, too. It just felt like there was no longer any reason to stay."

Sam had a thought. "Daniel, if I had asked you not to go, would you still have gone?"

"I'm not sure. I really did want to go to Atlantis, and, even if you had asked me not to, it wouldn't have changed the fact that you were in Nevada, Jack was moving to DC, and Teal'c was off helping to build the new Jaffa Nation."

"Leaving you all alone. We all abandoned you, didn't we."

Daniel shook his head. "No, Sam, you didn't abandon me. Your lives were all just . . . going off in other directions. Let's not talk about that. We should be talking about nice things."

They resumed eating. After a few bites, they started talking again, eventually getting on the subject of other dates they'd had. Daniel recounted his first date, which, surprisingly, didn't happen until he was nineteen.

"I can't believe that you never dated before then," Sam said.

"Well, I was pretty focused on my studies, especially in the beginning. I didn't socialize much in college, not at all during my freshman year."

"Still, I find it hard to believe that some co-ed didn't pounce on you."

Daniel ducked his head in embarrassment, making Sam smile.

"You didn't know me back then," he told her. "I was a geek, a real bookworm. Most college girls aren't interested in someone like that."

"They didn't know what they were missing."

That comment made Daniel's cheeks color faintly. The thought came to Sam that he really was adorable, a gorgeous, brilliant man who still had the capacity to blush when being complimented.

Daniel cleared his throat. "So, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Your first date."

"Oh. Um, unfortunately, it turned out not to be so great. I was sixteen, and the boy tried to feel me up." Sam grinned. "I made it quite clear that I wasn't that kind of girl. There was no second date."

"That's a shame, I mean that the kid was a jerk."

Sam shrugged. "That's the way it goes sometimes. My next date was much nicer, with a boy named Greg Hampton. He and I dated for a few months, up until I left for the Academy."

As the conversation continued, moving on to first crushes, it suddenly occurred to Sam that she was enjoying this date far more than she had her first date with Jack. One of the reasons was that they were really talking, not just about news topics and casual stuff, but about personal things, stuff that they had never before shared with each other. There was also the fact that, on the first date with Jack, Sam had been trying too hard to enjoy it and not to be disappointed that things weren't as wonderful as she'd imagined they would be. This time, it was different. There were no preconceived notions, no grand expectations, so she was free to just enjoy herself.

But there was more to it than that. With Daniel, it felt natural. Perhaps it was because they were such close friends. They already knew so much about each other and were completely comfortable in each other's company. Instead of this change in their relationship feeling like a gigantic leap, it felt more like just a few steps forward from what they already had together.

Sam mentally paused upon realizing what she'd just been thinking. It was like she was already accepting that this was going to progress into something more, that she and Daniel would definitely be embarking on a romantic relationship. That surprised her. When she came here tonight, she'd known that things might not work out, but that was before Daniel went out of his way to give her a date that was the nicest one she'd ever been on. And it _was_ the nicest one, not just because of its uniqueness. It was the nicest date she'd ever had because the man she was on it with was utterly in love with her and had done everything possible to make this dinner as special and wonderful as it could possibly be. She had to wonder how he talked his landlord into agreeing to this. Then again, this was Daniel she was talking about, the man who could perform miracles of diplomacy.

Daniel found himself studying Sam's face. She'd gone quiet, and there was a little smile on her lips. He hoped that it was because she was really enjoying herself. He desperately wanted this date to be so nice for her that she'd welcome a second one . . . and a third, and four, and. . . .

Trying not to get ahead of himself, he returned his gaze to his food and finished the last few bites. Apparently emerging from whatever thoughts had been occupying her, Sam did the same.

"That was delicious," she commented after the last bite.

"I hope you have some room for dessert."

"Dessert?" Sam looked around, not spying any other containers.

Daniel got up and disappeared around one of the tables full of flowers. When he reappeared, he was holding two slices of chocolate cake.

"Mrs. Jennings baked the cake."

"Mrs. Jennings?"

"My landlord's wife."

Sam began to grin. Ah, so maybe it wasn't a challenge to talk his landlord into allowing this after all.

"Sounds like she likes you, Daniel," she said teasingly.

Embarrassed by the comment, Daniel shrugged. "I'm about the same age as their son, and I guess I look a little like him. She, um . . . was pretty happy when I told her I had a date. She thinks I've been single for too long."

Sam started laughing. She wasn't the least bit surprised that Daniel had charmed his landlord's wife.

The cake was also delicious, and Sam told Daniel to pass her compliments on to the baker. Once the last bite was consumed, they both fell into silence. Daniel really didn't want the date to end, but, at the moment, he couldn't think of a way to extend it. He certainly couldn't invite Sam to join him back in his apartment. That would be way too bold.

Sam, too, didn't want the date to end. Unlike her first date with Jack, she really wanted this one to keep going.

"Um . . . would you like to, uh, go for a walk or something?" Daniel finally asked tentatively.

"Sure, I'd love to," Sam replied without hesitation. Her reply earned her a brilliant smile from her date.

Daniel helped Sam on with her coat, then they left the greenhouse and descended to the ground floor. They stepped outside and began a leisurely walk around the block.

"There's something I've always wondered about," Sam said after a couple of minutes.

"What's that?"

"After I found out that Sha're was given to you, you told me that you tried to return her to her father, but you then realized that it would be terribly embarrassing for her and could cause her a lot of problems. What would you have done if you hadn't fallen in love with her."

"I'm not really sure. If I'd left her there and gone back to Earth with Jack, Kawalsky and Ferretti, she would have had to live with the shame of being rejected by me. I wouldn't have wanted to do that to her. On the other hand, I couldn't have taken her with me. But then, thinking about it, even if I hadn't fallen for Sha're, I might still have chosen to stay on Abydos. I had nothing to return to Earth for."

"I'm sure that the military would have kept you on in the program. You would have been a valuable asset." Sam smiled slightly. "If you had been there, we'd have figured out way sooner that the problem was stellar drift. Who knows how that would have changed things."

"Well, for one thing, we would have made ourselves a target a lot sooner."

"Maybe, although we wouldn't have had the addresses from the map room."

"We might never have met Teal'c."

"Probably not."

They fell silent. After a few seconds, Sam hooked her arm around Daniel's. Surprised, he stared at her and received a smile. Feeling happy, he tentatively rested his hand over the one she had on his arm.

The walk around the block didn't last nearly long enough for either of them. They came to a stop before Daniel's apartment building.

"Well, I guess I should get home," Sam said regretfully.

Daniel searched Sam's eyes. "Thank you, Sam, for giving me this date. It meant a great deal to me."

"Thank _you_ for making it such a lovely date. I really did enjoy it."

Daniel smiled softly. "Good. I'm glad."

"I get to plan the next one."

Daniel's smile widened. "The next one?"

"You bet. No way is this going to be the only one."

A happy little laugh escaped Daniel's lips. "That's really great to hear. So, any idea on when this second date is going to take place?"

"You took two days off, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then we'll do it tomorrow. We could start early and maybe go do something fun together."

Daniel's smile got even bigger. "That sounds great. Come on. I'll walk you to your car."

After unlocking her car door, Sam turned back to Daniel and saw him staring at her intently. There was a look in his eyes, a look that told her he wanted to kiss her. Sam felt her pulse rate go up. Instead of kissing her, however, he took her hand and gave it a little squeeze.

"Good night, Sam. Sweet dreams."

Sam paused a second, then wished him the same thing. She got in her car and drove out of the parking lot.

On the drive home, Sam realized to her surprise that she was quite disappointed that Daniel had not kissed her. Was the reason for her disappointment merely that she was curious about what it would feel like to be kissed by him?

Having no answer to the question, the lieutenant colonel turned her thoughts to what kind of plans she was going to make for hers and Daniel's second date. Whatever they would be, she wanted them to be as great as tonight's date had been.

* * *

It was only 8:30 when Sam called Daniel the next morning.

"So, are you all ready for our second date? I'll be there in fifteen minutes." she asked.

Taken by surprise, Daniel replied, "Um, when you said early, I wasn't thinking quite _this_ early."

Sam grinned. "I have plans."

"Plans?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, then, sure. I can't wait to find out what those plans are."

"Great! Be there in a few."

It was Daniel who was grinning when he hung up the phone. He went into the bedroom and quickly changed out of his worn jeans and T-shirt and put on a nice pair of slacks, a light pullover sweater and sport coat. He was staring at the suits in his closet, wondering if he should take one along to change into later, when the doorbell rang. When he opened the door, it was to find Sam on the other side with a big smile on her face.

"Hi," she said. "So, you ready to go?"

"Well, I guess that all depends on what today's plans are. Will I need a suit for later?"

"Nope, what you're wearing is fine."

"Okay, then I'm ready."

As Sam drove, Daniel was burning with curiosity about where they were going. When it became clear that they were heading toward Denver, that curiosity became too strong for him to remain silent any longer.

"Sam, where are we going?"

"I happen to know that there is a new exhibit at the Museum of Art that you're dying to see."

Daniel's face lit with a grin. "The Minoan exhibit!"

"Yep."

"Thanks, Sam. I've been intending to go see it for weeks, but I just never managed to get over there. It's only going to be there for another month."

"I know. I'm eager to see it, too."

They talked the whole way to Denver, Daniel asking Sam questions about the science project that she'd wanted to talk to Jack about. Though he didn't understand everything she said, he listened intently all the same, admiring, as always, her brilliant mind.

At the museum, they went straight to the Minoan exhibit. Sam instantly recognized the style, having seen it before . . . but not someplace there on Earth.

Sam turned to Daniel, who was studying a vase painted with the figure of a man jumping over a bull, a distant look on his face.

"You're thinking of Tuplo and his people," she guessed in a low voice.

"Yeah. I learned quite a bit from them after we resolved their, uh, problem. There are a lot of unanswered questions about the Minoan civilization because so little from it has survived. When I was with Tuplo, I learned things that would vastly expand our knowledge of the Minoans, if I could pass it on."

"I wish you could do that. I'd love to see your name on all the papers that you've no doubt already composed in your head."

Daniel smiled. "I do admit that I've composed a few. I even put some down on paper. But what about you? I bet you have some scientific papers that you're itching to publish."

"Oh, yes. Tons of them."

"You and I definitely have that in common, two frustrated scientists who'd love to turn our respective scientific communities upside down with all the stuff we know that they don't."

Sam laughed. "You've got that right."

They slowly strolled through the exhibit, Daniel quietly sharing his knowledge of the culture that created these pieces of art, dropping his voice to little more than a whisper whenever he imparted facts that no archeologist outside the Stargate Program knew. Sam found herself fascinated by it all, by the beauty and mystery of the long dead civilization. Though archeology and anthropology were never fields that she had a great interest in, Daniel's deep love and passion for those things were in every word he spoke and brought the culture to life for her.

After going through the Minoan exhibit, they moved on to the rest of the museum. Sam had been there before, but being in the company of Daniel, who seemed to have knowledge of every culture and time period represented, gave her a fresh perspective and made her enjoy it even more.

They ate lunch in the museum's cafeteria.

"So, is this to be our only meal on this date?" Daniel asked, his eyes twinkling. "If so, we should have brought with us some candles and a CD player with romantic music."

Sam grinned. "Nope. There will be another meal. There won't be any candles, but I'm sure that there will be music."

Daniel's gaze met hers for a long moment. "Good."

They stayed at the museum until closing time. It being too early for dinner, they went to a mall and did some "window" shopping. As they passed a jewelry store, Daniel found himself far more interested in the display than he would have been before today. He wondered what Sam would like in jewelry. He recalled the earrings and necklace that she'd worn on their first date, simple, yet pretty. Perhaps she'd like pearls.

Realizing that it was way too early in the relationship to be thinking about buying Sam jewelry, Daniel removed his gaze from the display.

Leaving the mall without having purchased anything, they got back on the road. When they stopped again, it was in the parking lot of a quaint little Italian restaurant.

"This looks nice," Daniel said. "How'd you find out about it?"

Sam hesitated before replying. "Um, Pete took me here once."

"Oh."

The awkwardness lasted only a few seconds. Getting past it, they went inside. Sam had made a reservation, so they were taken right to a table. Once their meals were ordered, Daniel began looking about, liking the decor and feel of the place, which was warm and intimate. He thought of Sam and Pete eating here.

"Have you ever talked to him?" he asked. "Pete, I mean."

"No, not since we broke up. It ended so badly that it would have been awkward if we'd ever seen each other again."

Daniel searched her eyes. "I never asked this before because I figured it was none of my business. When you started dating Pete, I wondered about. . . ."

"Jack?"

"Yeah."

Sam sighed. "Jack and I talked about this up at the cabin. Pete was a desperate attempt on my part to have a life outside the program, to have someone in that life. I'd recently done some soul searching and came to the conclusion that I needed to stop the whole nonsense about wanting a man I thought I could never have. Dating Pete was a mistake, one I came to regret."

Daniel stared down into the contents of his glass. "When you told me about him, it . . . really hurt. I'd known for months that what I felt for you would always be unrequited, but finding out that you had a man in your life with whom you were actually having a relationship was so much worse."

Sam laid her hand over his. He looked up to see her gazing at him with a tender, caring expression.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel."

"It wasn't your fault, Sam. You didn't make me fall in love with you. I did that all on my own, although I suppose it's no great surprise that I did. You are an amazing and beautiful woman."

Very pleased by the sincerely spoken compliment, Sam gave him a smile. As he gazed back at her, she could actually see the love in his eyes. It made her feel strangely warm inside. It also made her realize that she should have known from the moment Jack asked her out that something wasn't right. She never saw the love light in his eyes, not like she did when they used to share secret glances from time to time.

"Hey," Daniel said softly. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh. Yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking about my own blindness and stupidity."

"About what?"

"Jack. I just should have known way sooner than I did that things were no longer the same between us."

"Don't beat yourself up over it, Sam. I think every member of the human race has, at one time or another, failed to see the truth about something. I did, too. Like I told you before, I was so stuck in my grief over Sha're that I failed to see that I was falling in love with you."

Sam gazed at him. "You don't know when it started happening?"

When Daniel's eyes dropped back to the table, and he didn't respond, Sam wondered what was wrong.

"Daniel?"

"I never really knew before. I wondered, but I didn't think back on the years and try to pinpoint a time when it must have started. But, after you left last night, I really got to thinking about it, and. . . ."

"And what?"

"I'm ashamed to admit that I think it started happening even before Sha're died."

That really shocked Sam. Daniel had been so in love with his wife. It was hard to believe that he could have had feelings for any other woman.

"It was seeing you in that blue dress on Simarka," Daniel said. "You looked so beautiful. You took my breath away. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. Later on, I chalked it up to a natural reaction to seeing you looking so different from what I was used to, but now I know that it was more than that. Looking back on everything now that I can be honest with myself, there were other incidents as well, feelings I had that I shouldn't have if all you were to me was a friend and teammate." Daniel finally met Sam's eyes. "I want you to understand that I loved Sha're very much. If I had been able to save her, we'd have gone back to Abydos, and I'd have lived the rest of my life there with her. But, right from the start, you and I had a. . . ."

"Connection?"

"Yeah." Daniel smiled. "I bet that if I hadn't been married when we met, I'd have fallen for you right away."

Sam thought about that. If Daniel had not been married when they met and had asked her out, would she have accepted? Absolutely. She wouldn't have hesitated an instant. After all, she'd known even before she met him that she would like him, and that belief was proven to be correct in the map room on Abydos.

How very different things would have been if they had begun a relationship way back then. Would they still be together? That was something she didn't know, though she had a feeling that they would be.

They moved on to more casual conversation, which continued after their meal arrived and kept right on going after every bite had been eaten. Finally, they decided that they really did need to get going, especially since they had a long drive home.

There were long moments of companionable silence on the drive back to Colorado Springs, both of them feeling comfortable enough in each other's presence that they didn't feel the need to fill the silence.

It was quite late by the time Sam pulled up to Daniel's apartment building. She turned off the motor and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Sam," he said. "This was a wonderful day . . . and a fantastic second date."

"Yes, it was," she agreed wholeheartedly.

Daniel searched her eyes. "Well, I'd better get inside. It's late, and we both have to work tomorrow."

Yet again, Sam saw in Daniel's eyes the desire to kiss her, and, yet again, he did not follow through on that desire. Instead, he got out of the car, waved at her one last time, and walked into his apartment building. Once he'd reached the privacy of his apartment, Daniel closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. At the end of their first date, he had very much wanted to kiss Sam. At the end of this date, that desire was almost too strong to resist. But he was afraid to take that step, afraid that she would think he was moving too fast. No, that wasn't what truly scared him. What he _really_ feared was that she would feel nothing when he kissed her and decide that there was no point in continuing to date him.

But, sooner or later, that line would have to be crossed, and, when it was, it would be a real test of his self-control.

Thinking about what their third date might bring, Daniel headed off to his bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

When Cameron walked into Daniel's office Tuesday morning and found the archeologist with another smile plastered all over his face, the pilot knew that something big was up. In the two plus years that he'd known Daniel, he had seen a smile on the man's lips all of half a dozen times before now, yet this was the second one to be there in the past three days.

"Another smile, I see," Cam remarked. "Two smiles in three days. That must be some kind of record for you."

Startled, Daniel looked at him, having been completely unaware of the man's presence. He quickly put a damper on the smile that had come to his face when he started thinking about his dates with Sam.

"Did you need something?" he asked with a poker face.

Cam's eyes narrowed. "Oh no you don't. You're not getting out of it this time. You refused to tell me why you suddenly decided to transfer to Atlantis, and then why you just as suddenly changed your mind. Now, I find you wearing the biggest grin I've ever seen on your face. You are going to tell me what's going on."

Daniel studied the pilot silently, realizing that, sooner or later, he was going to have to be told about what was going on, especially if Daniel and Sam kept dating.

"All right. The truth is that—"

An energetic Vala came bursting into the room. "So, how did it go? I want all the details!" She then noticed Cam's presence. "Oh. Hello, Cameron. I didn't see you there."

The pilot stared at her, then at Daniel. "So, how did _what_ go?"

"He and Samantha went on a date!" Vala blurted out.

Cam's eyes widened dramatically. "A . . . a date?"

Daniel sighed. "Yes, a date." He glared at the woman in the room. "Thank you so much for just blurting that right out, Vala."

She grinned. "You're welcome."

The size of Cameron's eyes had not diminished. "You mean that you and Sam are. . . . But I thought that she and General O'Neill were. . . ."

"Oh, she and General O'Neill _were_," Vala explained, "but then they weren't because they figured out that they not longer wanted to be. So, now, it's Daniel and Samantha, because Daniel already is, and Samantha may soon be."

Cameron blinked. "Huh?"

Vala started to explain further, but the words halted on her tongue when Daniel's finger shot up into the air, accompanied by a glare.

"Let me handle this," he snapped. He turned to the totally confused younger man. "Sam and Jack realized that they no longer felt for each other what they used to, so they aren't dating anymore. I've . . . had feelings for Sam for a long time now. Sam found out and agreed to go on a date with me to see if we could become more than friends."

Cam stared at the archeologist for several seconds. It was then that all the pieces fell into place. "You decided to transfer to Atlantis because you thought that Sam and the general were going to be together."

Daniel looked away from him. "That was part of the reason."

"Part? Don't give me that. I'm betting it's the whole reason."

"No, not the whole reason. As you'll recall, I was heading off to Atlantis at the time that you took over command of SG-1. I've been wanting to go there for a long time, and those few days I spent there last year wasn't nearly long enough."

Cameron paid no attention to Daniel's words. "So, now that you and Sam are dating, you won't be going, right?"

"That really all depends."

"On what?"

"On how things develop."

"He means on whether or not Samantha falls in love with him," Vala supplied, much to Daniel's mortification.

"Could you please stay out of this?" he growled. "In fact, why don't you go bother somebody else for a while?"

Vala pouted. "But I want to know how the date went."

"They went very well, and that's all I'm telling you."

"They? As in more than one?" Vala grinned again. "Well, well, _well_. Two dates in two days. You certainly aren't wasting any time, are you. The first date must have been very good indeed."

The smile still on her face, Vala left the room. Daniel shut the door to make sure that she couldn't listen in on them. When he turned back to Cameron, he found the man watching him closely.

"You're in love with Sam," Cam said quietly.

Feeling rather uncomfortable, Daniel returned to his desk and sat down, saying nothing.

"Sam didn't know before now?"

"No."

"Well, I have to say that I'm pretty surprised. I saw right off that the two of you were close friends, but I couldn't have foreseen you being more than that."

"We still may not be. Sam doesn't feel for me what I do for her, and that may never change."

"And, if it doesn't, you'll go off to Atlantis."

"Yes."

"Well then, speaking as the leader of SG-1, I'm really hoping it _does_ change."

Daniel studied the pilot's expression. "You wouldn't have an issue with two members of the team being in a relationship?"

"Not as long as you can keep your personal lives separate from the job. Now, I don't know how _Landry_ will feel about it."

Daniel made a face. "Yeah. That's not a conversation I'll enjoy having."

Cameron searched Daniel's eyes. "I really do hope that things work out like you want them to, Daniel. I'm saying that as a friend, too."

Noticing that the man had called him by his first name, Daniel nodded slightly. "Thanks. I can't tell you how much I'm hoping that as well."

After Cameron had left, Daniel returned his attention on work . . . or at least that's what he tried to do. A thought kept derailing his attention. He finally gave up on work and dialed a familiar number.

"Daniel," greeted Jack. "Let me guess. You want my side of the story about what happened with me and Sam."

"Um . . . no."

"No? Then, what _are_ you calling about? You're calling from work, so I know that it isn't just to shoot the breeze."

"There's, uh, something you should know."

"Oh? Is there some problem? I'm detecting more than a little tension in your voice."

"No, no problem. I just don't know how you're going to react to what I'm going to tell you."

There was a brief moment of silence before Jack asked, "So, what did you do this time, Daniel?"

It was the archeologist's turn to pause. "Sam and I have started dating."

The utter silence on the other end of the line told Daniel that Jack had not been expecting that news at all. With each second that the silence continued, Daniel's level of discomfort increased exponentially.

"You and Sam are dating?" Jack at last managed to say.

"Yeah. We had our first date on Sunday." Daniel decided not to overwhelm his friend by revealing that the second date was on Monday. "I know that this is probably pretty shocking to you."

"Shocking? Daniel, if I hadn't been sitting down, I'd probably have fallen over. Now, I know this might sound like an asinine question, but I have to ask anyway. Why?"

"Why are we dating? Uhhh . . . are you still sitting down?"

"Yes."

"Because I'm in love with Sam and have been for a long time."

That declaration resulted in another long period of silence.

"You never said anything," Jack finally said.

"No, of course not. You never said anything to me about _your_ feelings for Sam."

"Fair enough. So, how long is 'a long time'?"

"Since I realized I was in love with her or since the first time I felt something for her that was beyond the boundaries of friendship?"

"Let's start with when you made the big revelation," Jack replied.

"A few months after I descended."

"And when did the feelings start?"

"Around ten years ago."

"Ten years?" Jack exclaimed. "That's since the beginning!"

"Not quite. Do you remember Simarka, the planet with the Mongols?"

"How could I forget?" Jack remembered something. "Ah. The blue dress. I did notice how you were gaping at her. Daniel, are you telling me that you've had those kinds of feelings for Sam since way back then, yet it took until after you descended to figure out that it was love?"

"No, of course not. I didn't have those kinds of feelings all that time. There were just a few times when I felt things that you're not supposed to feel for someone who is only a friend."

"Was jealousy one of those feelings?"

"Um . . . yeah, a . . . a couple of times, though I always told myself that's not what I was feeling."

"And did any of those times have me as the reason for it? I know that you've been aware for a long time that there was something between me and Sam."

"No, not really," Daniel replied, "maybe because you two never did anything about it all that time. My jealousy was caused by . . . other guys."

"Narim?"

"A bit."

"Martouf?"

"More than a bit. I found them holding hands, and . . . well, let's just say that I was most definitely not happy about it."

"So . . . you and Sam are now dating. How'd that come about?"

"I had to tell her how I feel," Daniel answered.

Jack knew that was far from being the whole story. "Tell me the whole thing, Daniel. I can tell that you're hiding something."

The archeologist sighed and did just that. The news that Daniel was going to transfer to Atlantis because he couldn't bear seeing Jack and Sam together bothered the ex-general a lot.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," he said. "I wish I'd known that you felt that way."

"What would you have done if you had known, Jack? Not date Sam? I wouldn't have wanted you to do that just for my sake."

"I know, but maybe we could have talked or something."

"Even if we had talked, Jack, it wouldn't have changed anything, especially since going to Atlantis was something I was already considering doing." Daniel hesitated before speaking the next sentence. "So, um . . . how do you feel about this?"

"As your friend or as a man who was once in love with the woman you are now dating?"

"Both, I guess."

"Well, as your friend, I think it's about damn time that you finally start dating again. As a man who used to feel the same thing that you do for Sam, I have to admit that my feelings are mixed."

"Jealous?"

"Kinda," Jack admitted, "but not because of any lingering feelings for her."

"You just wish that it could have worked out between you."

"It might have been great if it did. She is quite a woman."

"Yes, she is."

"Then again, we might have ended up killing each other within the first few months. You two, on the other hand, are way more suited to each other. For one thing, you can understand more when she technobabbles."

"Not that much more. I'm just more willing to listen. But things might not work for me and Sam any more than they did for the two of you. Sam may never come to feel for me what I feel for her."

"Yes, that is true," Jack agreed, "but you've always been an optimistic kind of guy, so just think positively."

"I guess you're right. So, now that you and Sam aren't going to be a couple, are you still considering moving back here?"

"Oh, I'm still considering it. I'm also still considering moving back to Minnesota."

"And fish for the rest of your life?"

"The thought is appealing."

"You couldn't have done that with Sam."

"True. She would have been worth the sacrifice, though."

"Yes, she would."

Jack heard the fervency in that statement. He was still amazed that Daniel had managed to keep this a secret from him for all these years. He wondered if Teal'c knew about it. The Jaffa could be surprisingly perceptive at times.

Speaking of Teal'c. . . .

"So, when is Teal'c coming back?" Jack asked.

"Tomorrow. I'm not sure what time. Early afternoon, I think."

"Well, give him a big hug and kiss hello for me. I missed seeing him while I was there."

"The hug and kiss will have to wait till the next time you're here, Jack," Daniel responded dryly, "but I will pass on your sentiments."

The two friends talked for a few more minutes.

"Well, I've got some things to take care of," Jack said at last.

"Yeah, me too."

"Before I hang up, there is something I want to say, Daniel. This thing with you and Sam. I'm okay with it. She and I just weren't meant to be . . . but it may be that the two of you are."

* * *

Vala headed toward the commissary, a little spring in her step. The reason for the light step was the knowledge that, apparently, things were going quite well between Daniel and Samantha, which meant that Daniel would likely not be transferring to Atlantis. Of course, there was still a chance that their relationship wouldn't work out, but Vala was determined to think positively, and she was now in the mood for something sweet.

Entering the commissary, Vala went straight over to the desserts and selected a piece of cherry pie. She looked around for a table and spied Cameron sitting off to the left. The problem was that he wasn't alone. Vala frowned, studying the red-haired woman who sat at his table. Vala recalled seeing her on a few occasions.

The redhead laughed about something, and Cam joined in, making Vala's frown deepen. They certainly did seem to be enjoying each other's company. Not that she was jealous. Of course she wasn't jealous, no more than she was jealous when Cameron was fawning over Amy what's-her-name in Kansas while being completely rude to Vala. Yes, she did feel a certain amount of sexual attraction toward him and would love to find out how good he was in bed, but that was all. No, she was merely unhappy because, if Cameron was interested in another woman, it would mean that Vala wouldn't get anywhere with him, and that happening with two guys in a row would be quite bruising to her feminine ego.

Just then, the woman rose from her seat, gave Cam a smile, then left the commissary. Vala immediately walked over to the table and sat in the chair she had vacated.

"So, who was that?" she asked Cam as she scooped up a bite of pie.

"You mean Rachel? She's one of the civilian scientists."

"You two seem pretty chummy."

"We're just friends."

"Are you sure? It didn't look that way to me."

"Absolutely positive. Rachel would have no interest in me. I'm the wrong gender."

Realizing what he was saying, Vala exclaimed, "Oh! But what about your 'don't ask, don't tell' policy?"

"That only applies to military personnel."

Vala smiled brightly. "Well, that's good . . . for Rachel, I mean. I have no such interest in women. I like men."

"Yeah, like _that's_ a newsflash," Cam muttered under his breath.

Vala cut off another bite from her pie. "So, I was thinking that we could have our football date this Thursday. Now that Daniel is not going to be transferring to Atlantis, I would like to celebrate."

"Don't you think that the celebration is a little premature? Just because they've had a couple of dates doesn't mean that things are going to work out for them."

"Well, no, but, speaking as a woman, unless I enjoyed the first date very much, I would not agree to go on another one the very next day. I would like to think that is a good sign."

Cam stared at her closely. "This thing with Jackson and Sam doesn't bother you at all?"

"Why should it?"

"Oh, come on, Vala. Do you think I'm an idiot? You made no secret of the fact that you wanted to get Jackson in your bed."

Vala pushed a lone cherry around her plate. "Yes, I admit that I did want that, but that is in the past now."

"It is? Just like that?"

"I decided that I was not going to waste my time pursuing a man who would never want me. I do have my pride, after all."

"I'm sure that Jackson will be relieved."

"Yes, I'm sure he will be." Vala speared the cherry she had been toying with and brought it up to her mouth. "So, this Thursday?"

"I can't on Thursday, but there will be games playing on Saturday."

"Saturday is good for me. Actually, since I have absolutely no social life, _any_ day is good for me."

"All right. Saturday it is, then. I'll need to give you my address."

"Oh, I already have it."

"How?"

"I've looked at everyone's personnel files."

Cameron shook his head. "I'm not even going to bother asking how you managed to do that."

"Just one of my many, many talents, dear Cameron. Perhaps, someday, I'll reveal to you all my other talents."

Hearing the slightly flirtatious tone in her voice, Cam wondered if she was coming on to him. She gives up on Daniel and decides to take a crack at him? Not that it would surprise him if she was doing that. Knowing what he did about Vala, it would be no surprise at all. After all, there was that incident at his parents' home. Vala's statement had made it clear that she would have welcomed him as a bed partner, although, to be honest, he couldn't be certain if she had been serious. Regardless, he'd have to shut her down if she really started coming onto him. Yes, she was a beautiful woman, and he had noticed the way she looked in those skimpy outfits she used to wear all the time, but she was most definitely not the kind of woman with whom he would consider getting into a relationship. She was too . . . too . . . _Vala_. But there would be no harm in spending an evening with her while watching a football game.

"Do you want me to bring anything?" Vala asked.

"Nope. I'll have everything we need for a football party, although it isn't really a party when there's just two people. I could invite a couple of other guys. Captain Morales played football in college, so he could answer a lot of your questions."

Vala most definitely did not want other people there. "Perhaps next time," she said. "I think I would prefer just having you explain things this time."

"Suit yourself." Cam got to his feet. "Well, I have some paperwork waiting for me, so I'll talk to you later."

Vala watched the pilot leave, very eager for Saturday to arrive.

* * *

It was a little after one p.m. the next day when Teal'c arrived through Earth's Stargate. He was greeted in the gate room by Cameron, Daniel and General Landry.

"So, how are things going with the Jaffa Nation, Teal'c?" the pilot asked.

"They are going well."

"That's good to hear," Daniel said. "Did you get a chance to spend time with Rya'c and Kar'yn?"

"Yes, and I have some excellent news to impart. Kar'yn is carrying my son's first child."

Daniel, Cam and General Landry all smiled at the news.

"Hey, that's great, Teal'c!" the lieutenant colonel exclaimed, heartily patting the Jaffa on the back. "So, you're gonna be a grandpa, huh? How does that make you feel?"

"I feel quite well."

Wanting to get more details about how things were going with the Jaffa Nation, General Landry asked Teal'c to come to his office. Afterwards, the former First Prime went to his quarters and unpacked his belongings. He had just finished when there was a knock on his door. He opened it to find Cam on the other side, whom he invited in.

"Boy, did _you_ miss a lot while you were gone," Cameron said the moment the door was shut.

Surprised by the statement, Teal'c frowned. "General Landry did not tell me of any important occurrences. Did you embark upon a dangerous mission?"

"No, no missions."

"Was the base attacked?"

"No, everything's been quiet here."

"Have we encountered some new and powerful enemy?"

"Uh uh. Not that either."

Teal'c's eyebrow had gone up a bit. "Then what has transpired, Colonel Mitchell?"

"Sam and General O'Neill started dating and went off fishing together. Jackson, who's been secretly in love with Sam for years, decided to transfer to Atlantis so that he wouldn't have to watch the two of them together, but those plans got put on hold because Sam and the general discovered while on their fishing trip that they weren't in love anymore. Now, _Jackson_ and Sam are dating, and if Sam falls for him, he'll cancel the transfer to Atlantis, otherwise, the transfer's back on."

Teal'c, who had not moved a muscle, except perhaps for an increase in the elevation of his eyebrow, stared silently at the pilot for several seconds.

"I see," he said at last.

Cam gaped at him. "I see? That's all you have to say?"

"Yes."

"Well, I have to say that that's disappointing."

"I apologize for disappointing you, Colonel Mitchell. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some things to which I must attend."

Not waiting for a response, Teal'c left. After taking care of a few things, he went to Daniel's office, where he found the archeologist hunched over a translation.

"Hey, Teal'c," the archeologist said upon seeing him. "Settling back into the routine of things around here?"

"Yes. Colonel Mitchell has told me of the events that transpired in my absence."

Daniel didn't have to ask what Teal'c was talking about. "Oh. I should imagine that you're pretty surprised."

"I am not."

"You're not?"

"I have been aware for quite some time about the emotions that O'Neill and Colonel Carter once had for each other." The Jaffa paused. "I was also aware of the emotions that you felt for Colonel Carter."

The last sentence shocked the archeologist. "You were? For how long?"

"That is unimportant. Colonel Mitchell has told me that if Colonel Carter does not come to love you, you intend to transfer to Atlantis."

Feeling a little embarrassed, Daniel said, "I would probably have gone eventually anyway. It's just that I've finally realized that I love Sam too much to be around her every day just as a friend. It would drive me crazy. Also, if I stayed, Sam would probably be pretty uncomfortable around me now that she knows how I feel."

Teal'c studied his friend's face closely. "You fear that she will never be able to love you in that way."

Daniel looked away. "It's just that she loved Jack, and he and I are nothing alike. I know that she had feelings for Narim and Martouf, and they were both a lot more like me than like Jack, but. . . ." He sighed and turned back to his teammate. "Do you think I have a chance with her, Teal'c?"

"Yes," the Jaffa replied without hesitation.

"You sound so sure."

"I have reason to believe that you and Colonel Carter will have a successful romantic relationship."

Daniel stared at the dark-skinned man intently. "Why do I get the feeling that there's something important you're not telling me?"

Teal'c merely smiled slightly in response.

Sam came walking in. When she saw Teal'c, she gave him a bright smile.

"Welcome back. I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you when you came through. I had to go into town for an appointment."

"Teal'c has some great news," Daniel told her.

"Oh?"

Teal'c gave her the news about Kar'yn's pregnancy, which resulted in a hug from her.

"Rya'c must be so thrilled," she said.

"Indeed. I believe there is a saying that describes his emotions. He is . . . on cloud nine."

Sam laughed. "Yes, I should imagine that he is. Of course, after the baby is born, he and Kar'yn are going to have to bring it here so that we can see it."

"I am certain that they will."

Having some other things to do, Teal'c bid them goodbye and left the office.

"He knows about us," Daniel told Sam.

"He does? How did he find out so soon?"

"Mitchell told him."

"Cam knows, too?"

"Yeah. He was pushing for an explanation to what's been going on with me."

Sam nodded. "So, was Teal'c surprised?"

"No, not at all. He already knew that I had feelings for you."

"He did? I guess he managed to see something that the rest of us didn't."

"Um . . . Jack knows, too."

Sam was caught totally off-guard by that revelation. "How?"

"I told him. I felt like he needed to know."

"Oh. How did he take it?"

"He has some mixed feelings, which is understandable, but he's okay with it."

"That's good. I wouldn't want things to be awkward the next time he comes." Sam smiled. "So, on that subject, we should start planning our third date."

Daniel smiled brightly. "I'm all for that. I was thinking that perhaps we should have more of a traditional date this time, dinner at a fancy restaurant, maybe dancing."

"Sounds great. We both have Sunday off, so how about Saturday night?"

"Works for me."

They discussed the details and decided on a movie, then Sam headed back off to her lab. She'd been there for around forty minutes when her phone rang.

"Hello, Sam," Jack said. "Did I catch you in the middle of something? I never know when you're going to be at home, so I decided to call you there at work."

"No, I'm not doing anything critical."

"Good." There was a long pause. "Daniel told me about you two."

Suddenly, Sam was feeling very uncomfortable.

"So, I know why _he's_ doing this, but I have to ask why _you_ are."

"I . . . I just think that Daniel and I might be able to have something good together."

"I have to agree. However, I also have to wonder if your main motivation for doing this is to keep him from leaving."

Sam felt a little insulted. "I wouldn't date him just to prevent him from going to Atlantis, Jack. That would be cruel, not to mention foolish."

"Yes, it would. So, does that mean that you really believe you can fall in love with him? I have to tell you that, though Daniel and I didn't talk about it for very long, I could tell that he really does love you."

"I know he does. I think it could work out. Daniel is a wonderful guy, and the two of us get along so well and have such a close friendship."

"Which is all great but doesn't mean that you'll come to feel that other kind of love for him."

"I know." Sam sighed. "I really don't know if I'll come to feel that way about him, but. . . ."

"You hope that you will," Jack guessed. "It's all right for you to admit that, Sam. I'm okay with it."

Sam decided to open up about it. "He really is a terrific guy, and, though I've never thought about it like that before this whole thing started, we are very compatible. I think we could be good together. And when he looks at me. . . . He really loves me, with his whole heart. It kind of feels good to know that. He told me that he'd leave the program for me."

Sam's last statement made Jack think about the fact that he never considered resigning nor even transferring out of the program so that he could be with Sam. Had that only been because of his sense of duty?

"Well, I guess all I can say is that I hope you both get what you want, Sam. You definitely deserve it."

"Thank you."

"There's something I need to say, though. If you start to think that it's never going to happen, don't let this go on, Sam. The longer you keep this going, the more hope you're going to give him and the harder it's going to hit him when you break it off."

"I know."

The two of them said goodbye and hung up. For a long time afterwards, Sam sat staring at the phone, really hoping that she would not find it necessary to break Daniel's heart.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

"Sir, do you have a moment?"

General Landry looked up to see Cameron standing in the doorway of his office.

"Certainly, Colonel. What can I do for you?"

Cam came in and took a seat. "Now that Teal'c is back, I'd really like to get out there on a mission. I'm getting kind of antsy."

"Aren't you scheduled to return to Hedavin on Tuesday?"

"Yes, but I was thinking of something sooner."

"Sooner?"

"Yes, sir. On Sunday, to be precise."

"Why Sun. . . ." Landry suddenly recalled something and smiled ever so slightly. "Ah. Excellent idea, Colonel. All right. The mission to Hedavin can't be moved up, but the next one after that could, the one to . . ." he rummaged around on his desk and found a file, "M6D-720. We'll schedule it for 0700 Sunday morning."

"Thank you, sir. That'll work."

After talking with the general for a few more minutes, Cam left the office and headed up to Level 19. Sam was focusing intently upon some kind of gadget on her worktable when he came in.

"Hey, Sam. I wanted to let you know that the mission to M6D-720 has been bumped up to Sunday at 0700."

Sam frowned. "Why the change?"

"There were some . . . scheduling reasons. If you were going to be taking Sunday off, you can take off Saturday instead."

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know now. Daniel and were going to go on a date Saturday night. We'll have to reschedule it for tomorrow night."

Cam wheeled a chair over and straddled it. "So . . . about this thing with you and Jackson. There's no secret about _his_ motivations, but I'm kind of wondering about yours."

Sam almost smiled. "Wow. I'm getting a real sense of deja vu here."

"Why?"

"Because General O'Neill called me a while ago, wondering the very same thing. And since you've probably been thinking the same thing he was, no I'm not dating Daniel just to keep him from going to Atlantis. That would be a horrible thing to do to him."

"So you're dating him because you really want to?"

"Yes, I really want to," Sam confirmed. "When he told me how he feels about me, I was totally blown away. I had no idea he felt like that way. Afterwards, I really got to thinking about it, how a relationship with him could be, and I realized that it could be fantastic."

"But only if you come to feel the same way about him."

"Yes, that is the one possible stumbling block. But our first two dates were terrific, and I'm really looking forward to the third. I really want this to work out."

"Well, I hope it does, and not just because I don't want to lose Jackson from the team. That guy definitely needs some happy stuff in his life. Because of these dates with you, I saw two smiles on his face in three days. That was a first."

Sam grew a smile of her own, though it didn't last long. "I wish you'd known Daniel in the early years. He was so different back then, before his wife died. The universe filled him with wonder. He loved the exploration, finding new cultures and civilizations. Even though he was worried about Sha're, he still found joy in some of the things we did and saw, in the ways we helped people. But then Sha're died, and our missions turned to more fighting and less exploration. He went through so much. As time passed, I saw his smiles less and less, and the sense of wonder seemed to disappear. After he descended, things were better, and, by the time Jack took over command of the SGC, he was smiling more and seemed to have finally found peace with a lot of things. But then the stuff with the Ori happened." Sam looked into Cameron's eyes. "I really want to see those smiles again, Cam. He smiled a lot on our dates, and it was great. I know that they're making him happy."

"And they're making you happy, too."

"Yes, they are, more so than what I'd anticipated when I first decided to do this. After the first date, I couldn't wait for the second one, and even as we were on the second one, I was thinking about what we could do on the third."

Cam studied Sam closely, wondering if it was possible that she was already falling for Daniel and just wasn't seeing it.

He got to his feet. "Well, I'm all for my teammates being happy. A happy team is so much more fun to be around. Of course, I've given up on Teal'c actually being _happy_, so, with him, I just settle for not _un_happy. Unhappy Teal'c is definitely a condition to avoid, as we all know very well from firsthand experience."

After bidding Sam goodbye, Cam departed, his thoughts, for some strange reason, going to Vala.

* * *

"Hey."

Daniel looked up and saw Sam standing just inside his office. The smile that came to his lips made Sam think about what she'd told Cam.

"Hi," he said warmly.

"I wanted to let you know that the mission to M6D-720 has been moved up to Sunday."

"For what reason?"

"I don't know. Cam said something about it being a scheduling issue."

"Scheduling issue?" Suddenly, a knowing look came to Daniel's face.

Sam stared at him. "Do you know what he was talking about?"

"Yes, I believe I do. Think about what else is going to be happening on Sunday."

Sam frowned, trying to recall something that was happening on that day. Then, all at once, she remembered. "The Daedalus is leaving."

"Uh huh. How much you wanna bet that Mitchell requested the change so that I'd be off-world when it left?"

It all became clear to Sam. "If you're off-world, you couldn't suddenly change your mind about the transfer and hop onboard."

"Exactly."

Sam almost laughed. "He's really determined to keep you here."

"Yes, but he wouldn't have had to bother. I wasn't going to change my mind. So, what are we going to do about our date? Are we still doing it Saturday night?"

"No, I think we should change it to tomorrow night. Cam said that we could switch our day off to Saturday. Have you already made a dinner reservation?"

"Yes, but I can change it."

"So, where are we going?"

Another smile came to Daniel's lips. "You'll find out tomorrow night. I'll only tell you that you should dress up."

"Okay. I will do that. I'm really looking forward to it."

"Me too."

* * *

The dress Sam wore on their first date had been lovely. The one she wore on their _third_ date made Daniel's heart race. It was made of a satiny midnight blue material and molded to every inch of her figure. Daniel tried to be a gentleman and keep his eyes north of the cleavage revealed by the low neckline, but, damn, was it ever hard. And when she turned away from him, being a gentleman went right out the window, and his gaze drifted even further south. He barely managed to snap it back up to her face when she turned back around.

The restaurant Daniel had chosen was among the ones he'd considered for their first date, one of the two that had a dance floor. He had every intention of getting Sam out on that floor before the evening ended.

As they talked over dinner, they really began opening up to each other. For the first time, Daniel talked to Sam about his grief over the death of his parents and the years that followed in foster care. Sam took his hand partway through and never let go.

"My parents' death was one of the worst things that ever happened to me," he said, "and yet, if they _hadn't_ died, I very likely would not have joined the program. Funny how things work out, isn't it."

"Yes, it is. For me, it was the death of my mother. I have to wonder how different my decisions would have been if she hadn't been killed. I'm pretty sure that Mom wouldn't have wanted me to join the Air Force. She experienced firsthand with Dad how hard being in the military can be on your family life. She'd have wanted me to get married, have kids, make her a grandma. That might have been enough to make me choose to remain a civilian, and, if I had been a civilian, there is a very good chance that _I_ wouldn't have gotten involved in the program."

"And we would never have met."

Sam gazed into Daniel's eyes. "Yes," she said, the thought of never having met him making her feel sad.

They finished their dinner and moved on to lighter conversation. The dishes had just been cleared away when Daniel's expression turned serious.

"I would very much like to dance with you, Sam," he said, searching her eyes.

She gave him a smile. "I'd like that, too."

They stood and walked to the dance floor. Daniel put an arm around Sam, taking one of her hands in his. And then they began to move in time to the music. Sam was surprised by how good it felt to be dancing with Daniel. She couldn't help but think about the one she shared with Jack, how he kept that little bit of distance between them the whole time. Would Daniel do the same?

Sam's question was answered during the second song. Ever so slowly, Daniel drew her toward him. Feeling no resistance, he pulled her close, his cheek coming to rest on her hair. She heard him take a deep breath and realized that he was drawing in her scent. He had one of her hands now held against his chest, the other arm wrapped around her waist. He was holding her so closely yet so very gently, like she was a precious, fragile treasure. After a few seconds, he rubbed his cheek against her hair, his nose dipping down close to her neck. She could feel his warm breath on her skin, and it made a little quiver run through her.

"I love you so much, Sam," Daniel said, his voice vibrating with emotion. "You'll never know how much. For all those years, I honestly thought that I'd never have the chance to be with you like this."

"Well, you were wrong, Daniel, and it isn't going to be the only time."

The archeologist lifted his head and searched her face intently. "Are you sure? Please be sure, Sam. If you're having any thoughts at all that this isn't going to work for you, I need to know now, because the more time I spend with you, the more I love you, and if it goes on for much longer, I really don't know if I'll be able to take it if you end things."

Sam met his gaze straight on. "I'm not having any thoughts like that, Daniel. I swear."

Daniel let out a long breath that was more like a sigh of relief.

They kept dancing, Sam having no desire to leave Daniel's arms. At one point, she closed her eyes and focused upon the feel of his body against hers, his scent, the sound of his breathing. And then she heard another sound. Daniel was humming very softly with the music. She started paying attention to the song and realized that it sounded vaguely familiar, though she couldn't remember the name.

As that song ended and another one began, Daniel glanced at his watch and was surprised to see how late it was.

"Wow. It's after eleven."

"It is? The time went by so fast." _'Too fast,'_ Sam added silently. She smiled at Daniel. "You know. We have tomorrow off, so there's no reason to rush home."

A bright smile lit Daniel's face. "Yes, but, if we're going to stay out late, I'd say that it'll have to be somewhere else. We appear to be the only ones left here."

Startled, Sam looked around and realized that Daniel was right. As they danced, the remaining diners had all left.

They returned to their table to get their coats and Sam's purse. They then walked out into the night, the check having already been paid.

"So, where to next?" Sam asked.

"Well, at this time of night, the only places open would be bars and some night clubs, and, to be perfectly honest, other than that wine we had with dinner, alcohol doesn't have much appeal for me these days."

Puzzled by that statement, Sam stared at him. "Is there a reason for that?"

Daniel's gaze shifted away from hers. "Um . . . let's just say that I . . . had a bit too much to drink recently."

Never having seen Daniel consume more than a couple of drinks in one evening, that really surprised Sam. "When?"

Daniel appeared to be getting more uncomfortable by the second. He was now staring at the ground, his hands in his pockets. "The, uh . . . the night before you went on the trip with Jack," he admitted reluctantly.

The confession nearly broke Sam's heart. "Oh, Daniel. I am so sorry."

He shook his head and at last lifted his eyes to hers. "No, Sam. Don't apologize. You don't have a thing to apologize for."

"Maybe so, but I still feel horrible that you were hurting so much because of me."

"Not because of _you_, Sam, because of my _feelings_ for you, and you couldn't be held responsible for them. Like I said before, you didn't make me fall for you." Wanting to get the conversation off his drinking binge, Daniel then said, "We can still go to a bar or night club, if you want to. I'll just drink a club soda or something."

"No, that's okay." Sam gave him a smile. "Actually, I think what I would like is another walk."

Daniel returned the smile. "That sounds perfect."

They went to Daniel's car and drove to a park with a walking trail. As they strolled down the path, Daniel's gaze lifted to the sky. There, away from the city lights, he could make out some of the stars. As it often did, looking at the stars made him think of Sha're. He wondered what she would be thinking if she could see him now.

"What are you thinking?" Sam asked quietly, able to tell that he'd been deep in thought.

"I was thinking about Sha're, how she'd feel about this."

Sam studied his profile. "And?"

Daniel stopped walking. "And I think that she would approve. No, I _know_ she would. In the vision that she sent me through the ribbon device, she made it clear that she wanted me to move past her death, and I know that included finding someone else to love. She would have wanted that for me." His tone softened. "She had such a generous heart."

Hearing the note of sorrow in his voice, Sam tightened her grip on his arm. Daniel gave her a smile and resumed walking. After a couple of minutes, he tentatively slipped an arm around her shoulders, and Sam did not object, putting her own arm around his waist. It felt good. _All_ of it felt good, the dinner, the dancing, and, now, this quiet walk in the moonlight. Sam felt quite happy and content, and she really didn't want it to end.

It was going on midnight when they completed the loop and arrived back at the car.

"I guess we should get home," Daniel said.

"Yeah," Sam responded regretfully.

As they drove back to Sam's, neither one of them spoke. Daniel accompanied Sam to her porch.

"I had a wonderful time, Daniel," she told him. "I really do mean that."

"Thank you. I did, too."

Daniel's eyes looked deeply into Sam's as the urge to kiss her returned. This time, he could not deny it . . . at least not completely.

Sam's pulse quickened as Daniel leaned into her. He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, his lips lingering there for several seconds. They brushed feather soft down her face, making a shiver run right up Sam's spine. As he drew away, his fingertips caressed her face where his lips had been. The look in his eyes was so full love that it made the breath catch in Sam's throat.

"Good night, Sam," he whispered, the same love in his voice.

Daniel released her and stepped back. As he started to turn away, a sudden desire took hold of Sam with irresistible force. She caught his arm, cupped her hand behind his neck, and pulled his lips down to hers. A sharp gasp escaped Daniel's throat. And then he was lost. He gathered Sam into his arms and pulled her tight against him as the kiss kept right on going, filling him with the most amazing feeling.

Sam was caught in her own tidal wave of sensations. All the things that she had expected to feel when Jack kissed her were now right there, washing through her body from head to toe. The Earth was moving, violins were playing, and there were more than a few fireworks going off. As for the heat, a spark had lit way down deep inside her and was very quickly growing into a bright flame.

Neither one of them knew how long the kiss lasted. They only knew that, by the time it finally ended, they were both feeling pretty overwhelmed.

Daniel pressed his forehead against Sam's, his eyes closed, as they just stood there, neither one of them prepared to move.

_'Holy Hannah,'_ Sam was thinking, totally blown away by how much that kiss had affected her. She had not been expecting that at all.

As for Daniel, he very much wanted another kiss. The problem was that he wanted it way too much. He really needed to pull back now, before he pushed things too far.

Daniel lifted his head and looked into Sam's eyes. What he saw there was surprise.

"Sam," he murmured softly. "You have no idea how much I have wanted to do that. But I think . . ." he drew in a deep, steadying breath, "I think I should go now."

Still feeling a little stunned, Sam nodded distractedly. She remained where she was as Daniel released her and wished her a good night, then headed down the walkway, got in his car and drove away. It wasn't until he was gone that she went inside. She went straight to her bedroom and slowly sat on the bed.

From the start, Sam had suspected that kissing Daniel would be enjoyable, but never could she have imagined that it would feel _that_ good. How could it have felt so good?

A terrible thought entered Sam's mind. It was one she didn't want to believe, but, given her history, she had to accept that it might be true. She wished that she had someone to talk to about this, a girlfriend to confide in, but since Janet's death, she hadn't formed any close bonds with another woman. She had a friendship with Carolyn Lam, the SGC's chief medical officer, but it wasn't close enough to share something like this.

Sam got up and went to her computer. After booting it up, she opened the folder that held a series of files that were a kind of electronic diary. Ever since Janet died, whenever Sam felt the need to share thoughts or emotions that she would have gone to the doctor about, she'd gotten into the habit of writing them down.

Sam began to type, starting the journal entry as she always did.

_Dear Janet,_

So much has happened lately. After years of dreaming about it, Jack and I finally began dating, but things didn't go as I'd always imagined they would. All the emotions that I thought I'd feel the first time we kissed, the first time we did **more** than kiss, just weren't there. That's when I realized that I was no longer in love with him. I had been just too blind to see it before then. Thankfully, it turned out that Jack felt the same way, so everything is okay between us.

No sooner did I make that revelation when one was made to me, one that shocked the hell out of me. Daniel is in love with me and has been for years. Never in a million years would I have guessed this. He loves me so much, Janet, that he was going to transfer to Atlantis because he couldn't bear the pain of seeing me and Jack together.

After finding that out, I made a really big decision. I decided to start dating Daniel to see if we could be more than friends. Yes, I know you're probably wondering if that was a wise thing to do since, up until now, I've never even considered having that kind of relationship with him, but I don't want to live with more regrets. I already have the regret that Jack and I missed our chance. I didn't want to miss this chance, too.

_Tonight we had our third date, and it was wonderful, just like the two that preceded it. But, unlike the first two, this one ended with a kiss, and what I felt was so extraordinary. It caught me totally by surprise. Yet, even though it really shocked me, I wanted him to kiss me again. I wanted more than just a kiss. Even as I'm sitting here writing this, a part of me is wishing that he hadn't left._

_I really shouldn't have felt so much, Janet. It was too powerful. I'm now beginning to wonder if what I felt was just in my imagination. I really want this relationship with Daniel to work out, and I'm afraid that desire is making me feel things that aren't real. The truth is that, as pathetic as it sounds, I really don't know if I can trust my own feelings anymore. Look at what happened with Jack. I was so certain that I was still in love with him. I couldn't even tell when I stopped feeling like that. And that's not even the first time that I fooled myself into thinking that I felt things I didn't. I thought I was totally in love with Jonas Hanson, enough that I got engaged to him. It wasn't until after I saw the ugly side of him that I realized I had only been in love with the idea of being in love._

I know that I'm not in love with Daniel, but what **am** I feeling for him? I wish I didn't feel so uncertain. Could it really be that the only reason I felt what I did when he kissed me is that I want so much for this to work out? Sometimes, I am so lonely, Janet. I want somebody to be with. I want it so badly that I almost made the horrible mistake of getting into a committed relationship with one guy when I was still in love with another. How far would the thing with Pete have gone if I hadn't found out about that background check he did on me? Am I now making another mistake? I'm so afraid that, sooner or later, I'm going to realize that these things I'm feeling now aren't real. I don't want to break Daniel's heart, but that's what will happen if I have to end the relationship.

I really wish you were here for me to talk to. I know that you'd be able to give me some good advice. I guess I'm just going to have to play this by ear and see what happens. There's really nothing else I can do.

Sam saved the file and shut down her computer. For a long time afterwards, she stared at the blank screen, thinking about what it would mean if what she was feeling now wasn't real . . . and what it would mean if it was.

* * *

When Vala arrived at Cam's house late Saturday afternoon, she was nearly grinning like a little kid. She had been looking forward to this all day.

Cam got a surprise when she took off her coat and revealed that she was wearing a football jersey.

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"When you told me that Captain Morales played football in college, I decided to talk to him to get some information in advance. He told me that if I really wanted to get into the football spirit, I should wear a jersey. There was not enough time for me to order one online, so he let me borrow his."

Looking at her, Cam had to admit that she looked great in the jersey, even if it did swim on her. She was wearing her hair down rather than in her usual ponytails, and the long black tresses were mostly obscuring the number on the back of the jersey, the name completely hidden.

"Well, come on into the living room," he said. "I've got everything all set up."

Vala followed him into the room and saw that the coffee table was crammed full of sandwiches, crackers, potato chips, two or three dips, and several other snack foods.

"There's soda and beer in the fridge," the pilot told her.

"Is it customary to eat this much food during a football party?"

Cam looked at the spread. "Well, I may have overdone it for just two people, but anything we don't eat can be put away for another time. The pregame show is about to start. Do you want a beer or soda?"

Vala chose a soda, wanting to save the alcoholic beverages for later. After getting the soda for her and a beer for himself, Cam took a seat on the couch.

Smiling, Vala plopped down on the couch beside him, leaving only a few inches between them.

Vala paid close attention to the pregame show as the sports announcers talked about the teams that were going to play, going into some detail on several of the players. Cameron added a few things of his own, giving his personal opinion on the players and the teams as a whole. From that, Vala determined which of the two teams the lieutenant colonel would be rooting for, which, of course, meant that she would be doing the same.

Once the game began so too did the lessons in the rules and intricacies of football. As he explained what was going on and answered Vala's questions, Cam found that he was quite enjoying it. He had wondered if constantly having to explain things and answer questions would get irritating since it would take his attention away from the game itself, but, instead, he was finding that pointing out the plays and how each member of the team worked in conjunction with the others was actually making him study the game in greater detail.

"Yes!" he crowed at one point. "You see that pass? What an arm! What I wouldn't have given to have an arm like that."

Vala looked at him. "Did you want to play football professionally?"

"It was a dream I had for a while. I started playing pee wee football as a little kid and loved it. I kept right on playing up into high school, but the coach decided that I just didn't have what it takes, and I got cut from the team."

"How terrible. Your heart must have been crushed."

"Yeah, it was a big blow, but then, in my junior year, I got interested in joining the military. I went into the Academy straight from high school, and I never looked back."

They returned their attention to the game. As time went on and Vala gained a greater understanding of the game, she began to point out the good plays and the bad. Her voice joined Cam's in the cheers and complaints. At halftime, the two of them talked animatedly about how the game was going so far and made predictions about how things were going to go, agreeing on some things and disagreeing on others.

Cam was having a ball. Vala had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the football spirit. She'd totally pigged out on the food, eating twice as much as he would have believed someone her size could consume. Then again, she ate a shocking amount of his mother's pie when they were in Kansas.

Thinking about that trip, Cameron couldn't help but also think about Amy Vandenberg, the girl he'd loved in high school and whom he'd finally gotten to kiss while back in Kansas. He wondered if she'd enjoy football as much as Vala now seemed to be enjoying it. Back in school, she did attend the games, but that didn't mean that she was a football enthusiast. He had doubts that he would ever find out. Though he had thrown out hints that he'd welcome a visit from Amy, she had yet to come. They'd had two phone chats since their reunion, but the conversations stayed mostly casual.

Vala looked over at Cam, who had grown quiet and appeared to be deep in thought. She had been having so much fun this evening, and it wasn't just because she was really getting into the game they were watching. It was also because of her companion. She and Cameron had discovered a shared passion, and it felt great. She had to wonder what other things they might discover that they both liked. One thing was for sure, something like this would _never_ have happened with Daniel.

When the game resumed so too did Cameron and Vala's animated attention on it. As the minutes ticked down and neither team gained a big enough lead to be assured victory, the level of intensity in the living room increased.

At last, there was less than a minute on the clock, and the score was tied. Cam and Vala's eyes were glued to the TV as the team they were rooting for pulled out all the stops. A brilliant pass by the quarterback delivered the ball right into the hands of the halfback, who immediately took off down the field, running with all his might toward the goalline. Cam and Vala found themselves on the edge of their seats, leaning forward as if to urge the receiver on. With each attempted tackle that was thwarted by a teammate, the level of excitement grew higher.

"Go! Go! Go!" Cam was yelling, Vala adding her voice to his.

And then, accompanied by wild cheering from the crowd in the stands, the halfback crossed the line to score the winning touchdown as the clock ticked down to zero. Cam and Vala leapt to their feet, screaming and shouting for joy as they jumped up and down. Vala turned to Cameron and threw herself into his arms. He laughed and hugged her tight.

And that's when it happened.

High on the thrill of the moment, Vala pressed her lips to Cam's. The touch sent a surprisingly strong jolt of pleasure through both of them, and, for three intense seconds, their lips remained locked. Then they quite suddenly sprang apart. Shocked by the intensity of the moment, they stared wide-eyed at each other. It was Cam who broke eye contact, turning to the TV. He cleared his throat.

"That . . . that was a fantastic touchdown."

"Yes," Vala said distractedly. Her fingers went to her lips, which she swore were tingling. Wow. That had been quite a surprise. She had guessed that kissing Cameron would feel good, but not _that_ good. She looked at his profile. She very much wanted to kiss him again, but, judging by the way that he was staring fixedly at the television screen, getting another kiss would be impossible . . . at least tonight.

"So, what happens now?" Vala asked.

"What?" Cam responded, his voice squeaking ever so slightly. Then he realized that she was talking about the game. "Oh. Um, there will be some interviews with the players and coaches of both teams, then they'll have the postgame show. I'm, uh, going to pass on the postgame show, though, if you don't mind. I've got some things I need to get done before I go to bed. We'll be leaving on the mission early."

"No, I don't mind."

"Should I call you a cab?"

"Yes."

Cam turned off the TV and made the call. The ensuing silence was uncomfortable for both of them. Vala helped the pilot gather up the leftover food and put it away.

When the cab arrived, Cam accompanied Vala out to it.

"I had a wonderful evening, Cameron," she told him. "I hope that we can do it again sometime."

"Uh, sure. So, I'll see you tomorrow."

Vala got in the cab and gave him a wave through the window. He watched the car pull away from the curb and disappear down the street. Then he went back inside, sat down, and just stared at the blank TV screen, trying to figure out why that kiss had affected him like it did. He should not have enjoyed it that much. In fact, he shouldn't have enjoyed it at all. He had always imagined that if Vala ever tried to kiss him, he'd immediately push her away. He knew her reputation. She loved men and, before coming to Earth, had probably slept with more members of the opposite sex in the space of one year than he had in his entire life. He had no interest in women of that sort, so why on Earth did that kiss make him feel like he'd received a jolt from a power line? It _had_ to have been because of the strong emotions of the moment. They were both excited and happy, and the kiss simply caused those emotions to spike.

Convinced that was the answer, Cam got up and began throwing away the trash, determined that he would not let things be awkward between him and Vala tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Daniel stared with single-minded purpose at the floor of the gate room. The reason for the gaze was not that there was something of great interest there. Actually, it looked like it was in need of a good mopping. No, the reason was that doing so was the only thing preventing him from gazing at Sam in a way that would tell everyone in the gate room exactly what he was thinking.

Ever since their date Friday night and the incredible kiss they shared, Daniel had been flying high. Sam's response to the kiss definitely seemed to indicate that she had enjoyed it. She certainly didn't pull away. That was a very good sign, one that made him hope that what he had wanted for so long might actually be within his reach.

Several times on Saturday, he'd come close to calling Sam and asking if she wanted to get together, but he had decided that it might be wise to let her make the next move. When she didn't call, he did not let it bother him. In fact, all that day, he let himself imagine for the first time a life with her. He could so easily picture them having kids, growing old together. It was something he had wanted with Sha're. Now, he might be given the chance to have it with another woman.

Unfortunately, all his thoughts and feelings weren't even close to being that G-rated, which was playing havoc with his ability to concentrate on what he should be thinking about, namely, the mission upon which they were about to embark. He really, really needed to get those things out of his head and focus on that.

Unbeknownst to Daniel, Sam was dealing with a struggle of her own as they waited for the gate to connect. Despite all the doubts she was suffering, the moment she saw Daniel this morning, she had wanted to kiss him again. In fact, the desire to do so was so strong that she'd had a hard time concentrating on the pre-mission briefing. Now, as they stood their waiting, it was taking a great deal of effort to act casually. The only way she could accomplish it was to keep her eyes off Daniel. This really was ridiculous. She needed to get a grip and put a lid on her desires.

Both Sam and Daniel would have been quite shocked to learn that they were not the only two people in the room dealing with thoughts and emotions inappropriate for the time and location.

Despite Cam's determination not to let what happened between him and Vala affect him this morning, he was finding himself hyper-aware of her presence and was also reacting by not looking at her.

_'Dammit!'_ he silently yelled at himself. _'It was just one dang kiss! Get it out of your head and do your job!'_

Vala, on the other hand, was making no effort at all not to think about the kiss. In fact, she had replayed it several times in her mind since it happened. She was now trying to figure out how she could manage to get another one. It wouldn't be easy since she could tell that Cameron was feeling uncomfortable about what happened, but she was up to the challenge.

As all this was going on, the fifth member of SG-1 watched his teammates closely, curious about their behavior. It was quite obvious that some things had occurred, specifically between Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter and between Colonel Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran. Teal'c did have his suspicions about what might have happened to cause his teammates to act the way they were. Time would tell if he was correct.

The attention of all five of them was drawn from their thoughts when the Stargate burst to life. With Cam and Teal'c in the lead, SG-1 walked through the event horizon. They came out the other side into a meadow surrounded by trees. Straight ahead were the ruins of what must have been a small city hundreds of years ago. Both the MALP and the UAV had detected a faint energy reading coming from somewhere in the crumbling structures. The UAV had spotted no signs of inhabitants other than animals. Of course, that didn't mean that there were none. Someone could be hiding inside some building. The UAV's infrared scanners would be unable to see through stone.

"So, shall we go see if we can find the source of that energy reading?" Cam asked. Not waiting for an answer, he strode forward, the others following.

Sam drew abreast of Cameron, her eyes on the scanner in her hand.

"Can you tell what part of the ruins it's coming from?" he asked her.

The astrophysicist swung the scanner back and forth, watching the readout change. "It looks like it's straight ahead."

They entered the ruins and, guided by Sam's scanner, went to a location that was close to the center of the ancient city. Cautiously, they entered the building, whose roof was mostly gone.

"This looks like it was a temple," Daniel stated, looking around. "It also looks like some pretty angry people were in here."

The remark was made in response to the sight of statuary and pottery smashed to bits. Not a single item in the temple was intact. Some of the damage could be attributed to the weather, but not all of it.

"Perhaps the inhabitants rebelled against their Goa'uld master," Teal'c said.

They found an antechamber off the main room and stopped to stare at what they'd found.

"Oh, I'm thinking that the rebellion theory is lookin' pretty good," Cam remarked.

Before them on the floor was what used to be a ring platform. It appeared to have been dug out of the stone with something like a pickax, then smashed repeatedly.

Sam ran her scanner over it. "This is the source of the energy reading. The power source must have remained at least partially intact and is still operating."

"Teal'c, do you have any idea what Goa'uld may have controlled this planet a few hundred years ago?" Daniel asked.

"I do not. Control of this territory has changed many times over the centuries."

Daniel frowned. "I'd really like to find out who it was."

Cam looked at him. "Why am I getting the feeling that we're going to be staying a while?"

"I'd like to take a look around, too," Sam said. "It's possible that some technology left behind was spared from destruction."

"All right. We'll split up to cover more territory. Teal'c, you go with Vala and Jackson, and I'll tag along with Sam. Radio check in thirty minutes."

The two groups went off in opposite directions, Daniel, Teal'c and Vala heading north as Sam and Cameron went south. Vala glanced at Daniel several times as they walked. He had been very quiet in the gate room and seemed to be doing a lot of thinking. She was dying to know how his third date with Sam had gone.

About forty minutes into the search for the name of the Goa'uld who had controlled this planet, they found the remains of a structure that Teal'c identified as the barracks for the Jaffa.

"There might be some small idols or other objects of worship in there," Daniel said. "The place is pretty big. The search would go a lot faster if we split up. There's no roof left, so it'll be safe for each of us to search alone."

The three members of SG-1 split up. Daniel headed off to the right and began examining the rooms, or, rather, what was left of them. Many of the dividing walls were half-gone, the stones that were once part of them scattered about. He found quite a few shards of pottery and other artifacts, which led him to believe that the Jaffa had departed in a hurry . . . or perhaps all been killed.

He'd been at it for around forty minutes when he found a vase that was mostly intact, buried beneath the remains of other pottery. The artwork on it depicted a man and woman holding each other. The image made Daniel's thoughts yet again go back to Friday night and the hope that had been steadily growing within him. His cautious side was telling him that he shouldn't get his hopes up too high, but it did no good. For the first time in four long years he had a real reason to believe that his heart's desire might soon be fulfilled. For the first time in over _ten_ years, there was something in his life that was making him truly happy. He wanted to cling to those things with both hands and not let go.

Daniel was unaware that, at that moment, he had an audience. Vala had gotten bored and decided to go looking for Daniel. When she came around a wall and spied the archeologist, she froze in surprise. Daniel was holding a vase, but his gaze was not upon it. Instead, he appeared to be looking off at nothing. That really wasn't all that unusual. No, what surprised Vala was the smile of happiness on his face. In all the time she'd known him, she had never seen a smile like that. It was transforming his features, making him look years younger. Vala guessed right off what he was thinking about.

"So, I'm guessing that the third date went extremely well," she commented, startling Daniel. As he turned to her, a calm, cool expression fell across his face.

"You can't possibly be done searching your section of the building," he said, "so I'm guessing that you got bored." He took some sheets of tissue paper out of one of his pockets and carefully wrapped the vase in them. He always had several sheets of tissue paper with him on missions in case he found an artifact that he wanted to bring back.

Vala watched him for a few seconds. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"What question is that? I didn't hear you ask one."

The dark-haired woman drew closer to him. "Was that smile I saw on your face because of your third date?"

Daniel hesitated before replying. "Yes."

"Did you and Samantha have sex?"

Daniel rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Vala, why do you think that just because I'm smiling about the date, it must mean that Sam and I had sex?"

"Because smiles like that are usually on the faces of men who have recently gotten laid."

Daniel closed his eyes, his head shaking slightly as he struggled for patience. "No, Vala. Sam and I did not have sex." He held up his finger when she opened her mouth to speak. "No more questions. What Sam and I do on our dates is none of your business." He walked past her. "If you're not going to do any more looking, then you might as well go wait for me and Teal'c."

Pouting over Daniel's refusal to give her any juicy details about the date, Vala made her way out of the structure. She sat down on a piece of wall and rested her chin on her hand. She got to thinking about that smile, how very happy Daniel looked. Would she see a similar smile on Samantha's face? Vala was still afraid that Daniel was going to get hurt, that, one of these days, the woman he loved would tell him that she could never love him back.

Making a sudden decision, Vala got to her feet and headed south. Tracking the signals from Sam's and Cameron's subcutaneous implants, she went straight to their location. As she drew near, she saw that they were not together. She chose the signal to the east and soon spotted Cam. Knowing that the other signal must be from Sam's implant, the former Goa'uld host turned around and went toward it. She found Sam crouched on the ground, examining something.

The astrophysicist frowned upon seeing her and stood up. "Vala, what—"

"Are you going to break his heart?" Vala interrupted bluntly.

Perplexed, Sam stared at her. "Excuse me?"

"Daniel. Are you falling in love with him or are you going to tell him that it was all a mistake?"

Sam frowned angrily. "I fail to see how that is any of you bus—"

"It _is_ my business," Vala interrupted. "Daniel is my friend, maybe one of the only real friends I have ever had, and I don't want to see him get hurt. Do you know what happened the night before you went off on your trip with General O'Neill?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. Daniel told me that he had a little too much to drink."

Vala snorted. "He had a great deal more than a _little_ too much. He was on the verge of unconsciousness when I got there. I found him sitting on the floor of his living room with empty beer bottles all over the table and a bottle of tequila in his hand."

Sam's chest began to ache, her throat tightening.

Vala continued. "He told me to go away, but I didn't. And then he cried in my arms." Okay, so maybe that last statement was a _slight_ exaggeration, but it got the desired effect. Tears filled Sam's eyes, along with an expression of anguish.

"He loves you very much, Samantha, and, though I will deny it if you tell anyone I said this, _I_ would consider myself a very lucky woman if it was me he loved like that."

Sam turned away as a single tear broke free. She quickly swiped it away.

Vala continued. "I was just with him, and he looked so happy. I have never seen him like that before. So, if you're going to tell him that you cannot be his, you have to do it now."

Sam thought about her doubts, fears and concerns. She now put those things aside and turned back around.

"I'm not going to do that, Vala," she declared firmly.

The dark-haired woman stared at her intently. "Then you _are_ in love with him."

"No. I-I mean I _am_ feeling things for him, pretty, um . . . powerful things."

Vala's gaze grew even more penetrating. She trusted that Daniel hadn't lied about the sex. However. . . . "You've kissed," she guessed, "and it was a very _good_ kiss."

Sam's cheeks grew hot. "Yes, we kissed, and, yes, it did feel very good." God, she couldn't believe that she was actually talking about this with Vala of all people.

The other woman had begun to smile. "And you are very much looking forward to the next kiss. You are very much looking forward to _more_ than a kiss."

Sam was saved from further replies – and further embarrassment – by the sound of Cameron calling her name. She quickly escaped Vala's presence. The former host of Qetesh watched Sam leave. She was quite certain now that Samantha was falling in love with Daniel. The woman was just failing to see it. She doubted that Sam would remain blind to it for long.

"Vala, where are you?" asked Daniel's voice over the radio.

The woman pushed the mic button on her radio. "I got tired of waiting for you and decided to join Cameron and Samantha."

"Well, next time, could you please tell someone that you're going to do that?"

Another voice came on the radio. "Jackson, this is Mitchell. I need you and Teal'c at our location. I've found something you'll want to see."

When Daniel and Teal'c joined their teammates, they found the others gathered around something on the ground. The archeologist was surprised when he saw what it was.

"It's a coverstone."

"Yeah, that's what I thought it was," Cam responded. "I saw the one that was covering Earth's Stargate."

"Well this one is way too small to be covering a gate. Besides, there would be no reason to have two gates here." Daniel eyes began scanning the writing. "This is a derivative of Old Coptic, which was created after the Greeks conquered Egypt."

"What does it say?" Vala asked.

Haltingly, Daniel began to read. "'Here lies the evil god Sebek. May he suffer for all eternity in the darkest depths of Tartarus.' That's interesting. Tartarus is from Greek and Roman mythology, but Sebek is an Egyptian god."

"So, I guess this answers the question of which Goa'uld ruled this place," Cam said.

Sam studied the coverstone. "The people must have killed him, then put this over the grave."

Daniel nodded. "Probably to make sure he couldn't rise from the dead and seek revenge."

Cameron glanced about the ruins. "I'm thinking that we're not gonna find any Goa'uld technology here that's still all in one piece. The people who did this were pretty pissed off."

"Colonel Mitchell is most likely correct," Teal'c stated. "The inhabitants of this city would have destroyed all things belonging to Sebek and his Jaffa."

"I'm surprised that they didn't bury the gate," Daniel said.

"Maybe they used it to leave the planet after the revolt," Sam suggested.

The team headed back to the Stargate. Upon returning to Earth, they went through the usual post-mission exam, then took care of the debriefing. Afterwards, Daniel went to his office. He unwrapped the vase and began studying it in more detail, seeing a mixture of Egyptian and Greek in the style of the artwork.

Sam came in and saw what he held in his hands. "That's beautiful."

Daniel nodded. "It's the only thing I found that was still mostly intact." He set the vase on the desk. "I think you might be right about the people leaving the planet after the rebellion. The only signs of artifacts I found were in the temple and the Jaffa barracks. Several of the structures I looked through appeared to be dwellings, yet they were stripped bare. The next time we see the Tok'ra, I might ask if they know what happened."

"Good idea. It's almost lunchtime. I was wondering if you'd like to join me."

Daniel smiled. "I'd love to."

After getting their lunch, Daniel and Sam found an empty table against the wall. They'd been eating for around two minutes when Sam said, "The Daedalus must be well on its way back to the Pegasus Galaxy by now."

"Yeah. This is the second time I've failed to catch my ride to Atlantis, except that, this time, it was voluntary."

"Any regrets?"

"No," Daniel instantly replied. "That's not to say that I'm not at all sorry that I've missed another opportunity to go there. I would still like the chance to spend some time there." His eyes gazed into Sam's. "But, right now, I'm a lot more interested in what's right here."

Sam smiled at the comment. All day Saturday, she was stressing out over her worries that what she was feeling for Daniel wasn't real. She pretty much thought the thing to death. She knew that she was thinking too much, but she was unable to stop herself. But, now, sitting here with Daniel, she felt relaxed, happy, and eager to see what their next date would bring.

"I'm very interested, too," she told him.

Daniel's eyes lit with a smile. "You are?"

"Yeah."

"That's great to hear."

Just then, Cameron and Vala came walking in. They appeared to be in the midst of a lively conversation. The two scientists managed to hear part of it and realized that it was about football.

The brown-haired man and black-haired woman kept right on talking all the way through the line, then took their trays to a table. Daniel and Sam had to wonder if they had even noticed that two of their teammates were in the room.

"They sure do seem to be getting along well," Sam remarked.

"Yes, I noticed that. But then, I don't think that Vala ever drove Mitchell as crazy as she drove me."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Cam told me a little about the time they spent at the high school reunion before Ventrell showed up. He was reunited with a woman named Amy that he had a thing for in school, and, based upon what he said, he pretty much ignored Vala after that. Just before they left, he was talking with Amy, and Vala was in a hurry to leave. She was yelling at him to hurry and honking the horn, and on the entire trip to the airport, she was a real pain in the butt. Cam said that he felt like strangling her. Personally, I think her ego was bruised because he was more interested in another woman."

"Could be. He should count himself lucky, though, that that's the only time he felt like killing her. I sometimes had thoughts of homicide two or three times a day, especially when Vala and I were linked by those bracelets."

Sam grinned. "I guess it's a good thing you have a lot of self-control."

"Yeah. Of course, there was also the fact that, if I'd killed her when we were linked, I'd have died, too."

"Yes, that would have been a big drawback."

The two friends resumed eating, and the conversation turned to the upcoming mission to Hedavin. It was a diplomatic mission to forge a trade agreement with the native people. Normally, SG-9 would have been the one to do it since they specialized in negotiations, but Daniel had developed a rapport with the Chief Councilor, and the man made it clear that he would prefer that the archeologist do the negotiating. The mission was expected to last two or three days, depending on how long it would take to reach an agreement. They would be remaining there on the planet since it would make no sense going back and forth through the Stargate every day.

Daniel wanted to ask Sam about the plans for their next date, which, of course, would have to wait until after the mission, but he figured that it would be best to discuss it when they were alone. Besides, it might be best to wait. He didn't want to seem too pushy.

Finishing their meal, Sam and Daniel took their trash to the garbage can, then parted company, Daniel going back to his office. As he sat down, his eyes went to the photograph of his wife. He picked it up and held it before him.

"Am I fooling myself into thinking that this could really happen, Sha're?" he asked softly. "Do I want it so badly that I'm placing too much hope on what happened Friday night?"

Setting the photo back down, Daniel turned his attention to work, a difficult translation that had defied the efforts of all the other linguists on base. Though he already had a huge pile of other work to do, he had agreed to take a look at it.

By 7:30, Daniel had made some headway, but he could tell that it would take many more hours to complete the translation. He decided to quit for the night and start fresh in the morning.

He was leaving his office when he spied Vala down the corridor. There was a smile on her face that made his eyes narrow. It was a smile he'd seen before, that of Vala Mal Doran scheming about something. It was not a smile that gave him peace of mind.

"Vala," he called. She saw him and came over. "I want to talk to you about something."

"About what?" the woman asked.

"Let's go into my office."

Once they were in the room, Daniel wasted no time in confronting her. "Okay, so what are you planning?"

Vala frowned in puzzlement. "What makes you think I have any plans?"

"Because I recognized that smile you had on your face. The last time I saw it was on P5G-102, when you planned to seduce the guy who owned that. . . ." A thought suddenly popped into Daniel's head. "I saw you and Mitchell chatting it up at lunch today. You were talking about football."

"Oh, that? He and I watched a game together at his place on Saturday. It was very enjoyable."

"You went to Mitchell's house to watch a football game? Why the sudden interest?"

"I have always enjoyed sports, Daniel. How many times have Teal'c and I beaten you and Cameron at basketball?"

Something about Vala's statement rang false. She had a television in her room, so she could have watched a football game at any time, yet she had never said one word about doing so.

"Vala, what are you up to?"

"Nothing."

"I don't believe you. This has something to do with Mitchell, doesn't it."

Vala began wandering around the room, pretending to study things. "I'm sure I do not know what you are talking about."

Daniel knew what was going on. Realizing that she would never get him into bed, Vala had turned her attention to Mitchell. So, what was Daniel going to do about it? Mitchell was perfectly capable of taking care of himself and rebuffing the woman's advances. On the other hand, Daniel did consider the man to be a friend, so it wouldn't be right to just stand back and say nothing.

"Why are you doing this, Vala?" he asked bluntly. "Why Mitchell? Is it because you've given up on getting me? If that's all there is to it, then I would advise that you stop right now."

Vala wanted to claim innocence, but it was clear that Daniel wouldn't believe her.

"I do admit that I find Cameron quite attractive," she said, "and I have very much enjoyed the time we have spent together recently. The football game was very exciting. Our team won."

"And?"

"And . . . if I believed that Cameron might be open to the idea, I would not hesitate to do something to expand our relationship beyond friendship."

"Seduce him, you mean."

"You make it sound so distasteful."

"Vala, you tried more than once with me, and I didn't appreciate it. Do you honestly believe that Mitchell will feel differently?"

Vala began drawing patterns on the desktop with her fingertip, her eyes watching its progress. "He might."

Daniel stared at her closely. "All right, Vala. Mitchell's a grown man and can fight his own battles, but, to be fair to him, you need to decide if you're doing this only because I'm no longer a possibility or if you really want to have a relationship with him."

That having been said, he walked out of the office. Vala just stood there, feeling like she needed to go after him and say something but not knowing what.

As much as she didn't want them to, Daniel's words were making her reexamine her intentions toward Cam. Was she going after him only because she couldn't have Daniel or did she really want to have something with him? Back when she learned that Daniel was in love with Sam, she decided that she would not want to be his second choice, the woman he turned to only because he couldn't have the one he really wanted. If she was doing the same thing with Cameron, that would make her a hypocrite. Three years ago, she wouldn't have cared. She would have done it anyway. But that was before she met a man named Daniel Jackson, whose strong sense of integrity was something that she had come to respect and, more than once, had caused her to make choices that the old Vala would never have made. If she ignored what he'd said and pursued Cameron regardless of the reason, would she be able to look in Daniel's eyes and feel good about herself?

Vala felt like stomping her foot. Drat! Why did he have to be such a Boy Scout? Or was it Cub Scout? Regardless of which one it was, he was ruining all her fun.

Vala left the office and continued toward her original destination. She had been chatting with one of the female scientists when the woman happened to mention that Cam was working out in the base gym. When Daniel called her aside, Vala had been on her way there with the intention of 'putting the moves' on him. Now, she wasn't sure what she was going to do.

As she entered the gym, Vala saw Cam jogging on one of the treadmills. He was wearing jogging shorts and an athletic tee. She came to a stop and just watched him, the fluid motion of his body, the sheen of perspiration on his skin. She found herself imagining that body stripped of all clothing and lying next to hers. Her temperature began to rise, and her heart beat a little faster.

All at once, Vala realized that she really did want that with Cameron, and not just because she would never have it with Daniel. Oh, it may have started out that way, but it wasn't the case anymore. So, what had changed things? Was it the kiss? The football game? The lunch she and Cameron shared? Vala didn't know. She just knew that she wanted him, and it had nothing to do with Daniel.

So, if that was the case, then she was perfectly free to pursue him, right? Right.

Growing a smile, Vala crossed the room to him.

"Here for some more eye candy?" he asked, not breaking stride.

"No, I'm here to see you."

He looked at her sharply. "About what?"

"About what happened Saturday night."

Now, that _did_ make Cam's steps falter. He recovered quickly, though, and stared straight ahead. "We need to just forget about that," he said.

"Why?"

"Because it shouldn't have happened."

"Why? Because we are on the same team? You don't have a problem with what is happening between Daniel and Samantha."

"That's different."

"Why?"

"It just is!" Seeing that his shout had caused some of the others in the room to turn toward them, Cam then said, "This is not the place for this discussion."

"Yes, you are right. We should have it when we are alone together."

Refusing to think about what Vala was quite clearly implying with that statement, Cam all but growled out, "Just . . . go do something, Vala. Hey, here's an idea. You're here in the gym. Why don't you do some arm curls or something, burn off some of that excess energy? The rack of dumbbells is over there." He jerked at it with his head.

Vala gave him a sultry smile. "There are other things I would _much_ rather do to burn off excess energy, Cameron."

_'Good God,'_ Cam said inside his mind. Was this what Daniel had to put up with for all that time?

Choosing to just ignore her, Cam resolutely focused his gaze upon a spot on the wall in front of him. Seeing that he wasn't going to take the bait, Vala sighed and walked over to the rack of dumbbells. She had never lifted weights before, and, though she had seen others do so, she did not know the proper technique.

Selecting the two smallest ones, Vala sat down on a nearby exercise bench. She watched a Marine on the other side of the room who was doing what she assumed were arm curls. She tried to imitate his actions, but it felt strange. She then tried several different things, turning the dumbbells this way and that.

Almost against his will, Cam turned his gaze to Vala. He watched her struggle with the dumbbells for a minute or so. Figuring that she'd probably pull a muscle if he didn't do something, he let out a sigh, stopped the treadmill, and walked over.

"You're not doing it right," he told her.

Vala gestured at the Marine. "I tried to do it like he is, but it felt awkward."

"That's because you're not used to it." He took the dumbbell and placed her hand around it the correct way. "Okay, brace your elbow on your thigh. No, a little closer to your knee. That's it. Okay, now bring your forearm down until it almost rests on your leg, then curl it back up as far as you can go. Keep the dumbbell parallel to your body." He watched as Vala did as he'd told her. "That's right. Now, go back down, then up again."

"How many times?"

"Ten times for each arm, then repeat twice."

Vala did the ten reps on each arm, finding that, after the fourth or fifth time, it didn't feel so awkward. Once she was done with all the reps, she looked up at him.

"Thank you." Her gaze went over to the treadmills. "Are you finished running?"

"Actually, I'd planned on going another mile or so."

Vala got up. "I'll join you. Running is something I know how to do very well. I have had plenty of practice, even before I became a part of the Stargate Program."

"Yes, I bet you have. Running across the ground isn't the same as running on a treadmill, though."

"I am sure I could learn."

He looked at her clothing. "You're not really dressed for jogging. Those boots are too heavy."

"I have found it necessary to run in them more than once while on a mission."

Cam shrugged. "I can't argue with you there."

They went over to the treadmills, and Cam showed her how to operate the one next to his. He started her out at a slow speed so that she could get used to the feel of walking on something that was moving beneath her feet.

After making sure that she was going to be all right, Cam got back on his treadmill and resumed his jog. He occasionally glanced at Vala to see how she was doing. After just a couple of minutes, she increased her speed to a regular walking pace.

When two airmen came in, laughing about something, Cam's attention was drawn in that direction. He listened to the joke that the one man was telling the other. After the punch line had been delivered, he turned back around to Vala – and nearly stumbled. She had shed her BDU shirt, revealing what was most definitely _not_ what he would have expected. Instead of a T-shirt, she was wearing a red tank top with a low-cut neckline that showed off quite a bit of cleavage. On top of that, several inches had been cut off the bottom, exposing Vala's flat, toned stomach.

The woman had definitely worn more revealing garments since he met her, but, for some reason, Cam couldn't drag his eyes away from her body. And when she turned up the speed even more and began a slow jog, the bouncing action immediately had his eyes going straight to her breasts.

Realizing that he was gawking at her, Cameron jerked his eyes away and stared fiercely at the wall. Dammit. What was wrong with him? Vala had been here for over a year, not counting the months she spent here before she was accidentally beamed to the Ori galaxy, and he'd never had the problem he was having now. Okay, so, yes, he had noticed before how attractive she was, but he was a guy, for Pete's sake. Of _course_ he'd notice that. But this . . . this _thing_ that was going on now was new – and he was not the least bit happy about it. He did not want to be attracted to Vala. He did not want to think the things that had been running through his mind ever since that kiss they shared. Vala was only interested in him because she couldn't have Daniel, and she was really only interested in getting one thing from him. Though Cam was far from being a prude, he had no desire to get involved with a woman who only wanted into his pants. He wanted more than that with a woman. Besides, she was most definitely not the kind of woman he went for. He preferred women like Amy.

Suddenly deciding that he'd had enough of jogging, he slowed the treadmill to his usual cool-down speed. In a hurry to get out of there, he shortened the duration of the cool-down walk by half. Telling Vala over his shoulder that he'd see her tomorrow, he grabbed his sweat towel and headed for the locker room.

Vala watched the man leave with a little smile on her face. She had noticed the way he was staring at her, and she was delighted. In spite of all his protests, Cameron was interested in her just like she was in him. Now that she knew that for certain, she was free to continue trying to seduce him. She did, however, realize that she needed to pull back a bit, at least for a while. Though the 'frontal assault' had worked for her many times in the past, it never worked on Daniel and probably wouldn't work on Cameron either. So, she needed to go back to being more subtle.

Leaving the gym, Vala went to her quarters, where she put some thought into what would be the best method for "getting her man." She soon realized, though, that any plan of seduction would have to factor in the reason why Cameron was rebuffing her advances. She knew, now, that it was not because he wasn't attracted to her, so there had to be another reason. Until she found out that reason, she might waste her time on using methods that wouldn't work.

So, how was she going to find out?

Deciding that subtly would have to wait for the seduction itself, Vala left her quarters, walked down the hall to Cam's, and knocked on the door.

* * *

Ooh, a cliffie! Yeah, you know I had to have at least one in this story. :-D


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

When Cam opened the door and saw who his visitor was, he let out a sigh.

"What now, Vala?" he asked as she invited herself into the room.

"I am here to continue that discussion of ours. We are now in private."

"Vala, why can't you just leave it be?"

"Because I want to know why you believe that kiss should not have happened. Is it because you did not enjoy it? Did you feel nothing?"

Cam was so tempted to lie and say yes, but he just couldn't.

"Whether or not I felt something is not the point," he said instead. "The point is that we were having an evening together as friends, and that's all." He added emphasis to the last two words. "The kiss was a mistake because all we are, all we will ever be, are friends and teammates. You are most definitely not the kind of woman I want, not now, not ever. So, go pick on somebody else. I'm not interested."

Much to her surprise, Vala felt a sharp jab of pain. She knew that Cam was physically attracted to her, but if his aversion to having any kind of relationship with her was that strong, no amount of seduction would change it.

Cam watched Vala closely and was surprised to see an expression of hurt flash across her face.

"Well, then if I am that abhorrent to you, I had better leave," she said, the same emotion in her voice. She turned away and headed for the door.

"Hey, hey," Cam said, taking a quick stride forward and grabbing her arm. "I didn't mean it like that. Of course I don't find you abhorrent."

"Just not very likeable," Vala responded, not looking at him. "I understand. I have a very checkered past. I know that I have done things that were wrong, that my old lifestyle was not up to the standards that people like you, Daniel, and Samantha live by. I have tried to change, to put my old ways behind me, but, sometimes, it's very hard. I understand if you cannot look past what I was. I think that Daniel is the only person I have ever known who could."

Shrugging out of his grasp, Vala left his quarters and hurried back to her room. As she sat on the bed, she was shocked by how much this was hurting, and it wasn't just because her hopes of getting Cameron into bed had been dashed to the ground. Ever since their lunch together, Vala had believed that something great was developing between them, that the friendship she and Cameron had was growing closer. They had been connecting, really connecting, first during that lunch, then the evening at his place. It had felt good to have that connection, to have a friend with whom she could cut loose and have fun. She hadn't had that with anyone in such a very long time, not since she was taken as a host. Sure, there had been basketball games with her teammates and an occasional game of checkers with a couple of the scientists, but that wasn't the same thing.

Back when she was wandering the galaxy alone, she didn't care about things like that. Her focus was on surviving and making money. But now that she was here, part of a group of people who were trying to make the galaxy a better place, she was beginning to realize how much she wanted to feel like she was truly being accepted, checkered past and all, especially by all of her teammates. But perhaps that was too much to hope for. It was clearly too much to hope for that Cameron could look beyond her past enough to have any kind of relationship with her.

Vala swiped away the teardrop that had fallen down her face, angry at herself for the weakness of tears. Okay, so she was not the kind of woman that Cameron could ever really want. Fine. It was time to move on yet again. She moved on from Daniel, so she had no doubt that she could do it again. It hurt a lot now, but the pain would go away.

Vala got undressed and slipped on a warm, soft, oversized robe that she'd purchased a while ago. When upset, many people turned to comfort food. When _she_ was upset, she also turned to comfort clothes.

When a knock came on Vala's door, she was tempted not to answer. She did so anyway and was surprised to see that it was Cam.

"What do you want?" she asked, now angry.

"We need to get some things straight."

"No, we don't. I understand perfectly. I am not good enough for you."

"Dammit, Vala. I didn't say that, and it's not what I meant. So, are you going to let me in or are we going to argue right here in the doorway?"

Vala wanted to slam the door in his face, but she let him in instead. She kept her back turned to him, arms crossed over her chest.

"Okay, first of all, I'm sorry," Cameron said. "What I said came out wrong, and I understand why it hurt your feelings. It isn't that I think you're not good enough for me. How conceited do you think I am? It's just that I have . . . a type, a kind of woman that I go for, and you're just not that type. Beside, I think we both know that you're only interested in me because you can't have Jackson. So, how about if we forget this whole thing happened and go back to the way it was before?"

Not responding, Vala walked away toward the nightstand beside the bed. Not knowing what else to say, Cam took a step toward the door.

"You're wrong."

The words made the pilot stop and turn back to the woman who'd uttered them.

"You're wrong that I'm interested in you only because I can't have Daniel," she said. "Yes, I admit that, in the beginning, that's how it was, but then. . . ."

"What?"

"I really enjoyed the time we spent together. It felt like we were developing a closer relationship, and it felt good." The volume of her voice dropped. "But I guess I was mistaken."

Shocked by her confession, Cam stared at her for several seconds. Then he walked up to her.

"I really enjoyed it, too," he admitted.

"You did?" Vala asked in a small voice, her gaze on the floor.

"Yes."

"Did you enjoy the kiss?"

Cameron paused for a long while before answering with the truth. "Yes."

At last, Vala turned around, and her eyes met his.

As long as he lived, Cam would never know how it happened, but, all of a sudden, he found himself kissing her, and it was no shy, tentative kiss. It was hot, and hungry, and explosive, tongues tangling in a wild dance. Their bodies were pressed tightly together, hands clutching at clothing.

Vala pushed Cam back a step. His legs hit the bed, and he was suddenly sitting upon it. Vala wasted no time getting in his lap. And that's when he made the discovery that she was wearing nothing at all under her robe. The discovery raised the temperature of the fire raging through his body even higher. He clutched at her thighs, unable to stop himself from running his hands up their length to the soft curve of her butt. Vala moaned and rocked against his. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and T-shirt and began yanking them upward. Cam let go of her, and the garments went flying. She then untied her belt and all but ripped her robe off. Cam's eyes raked over her naked body, his respiration growing ragged. God, she was beautiful. But this shouldn't be happening. This really, really shouldn't be happening. Those thoughts died a quick death when Vala pressed her body against his.

_'Oh, God,'_ he groaned inside his mind. His mouth found hers again. Then it found her throat, and her shoulders. Vala rose up onto her knees, pushing his head downward, and his mouth found her breasts. Vala cried out softly at the feeling. She was going insane with desire. She'd had many lovers in the past, yet never before had she felt so out of control while making love. She wanted him now. She couldn't wait a moment longer.

Vala's hands went to Cam's belt, then the fastening of his pants, quickly undoing them. Cam gasped at her touch, his hips bucking upward. Seconds later, their bodies were joined.

"Oh, yes!" Vala cried. They began moving together, the wild wave of passion carrying them inexorably upward. And then the wave crested, Vala's climax slamming into her just seconds before Cam's hit him.

They clung to each other as their climaxes came to a conclusion. It was a while before their eyes met.

"Vala—" Cam began to say, but she didn't let him finish. Not wanting to hear any words of regret, she sealed her lips over his.

Cam returned the kiss wholeheartedly, a hand gliding up her back to bury itself in her hair. Their lovemaking had been spectacular. Cam couldn't believe this had happened, that he was actually sitting here, a naked Vala in his arms, having just had some of the best sex of his life. But, right now, he didn't regret it one bit.

"I hope you are prepared not to leave this room any time soon," Vala whispered in his ear.

"Vala, I can't stay here. If somebody saw me coming out of your room in the middle of the night, they'd know what happened."

"I'm sure you could come up with a reasonable explanation." She began to run her fingers up and down his side. Cameron gasped as her touch migrated to his right nipple. She started to kiss and nibble her way down his neck. Her other hand slid down his back and went under his boxers.

"God, Vala," Cam moaned. "You're not gonna let me do the sensible thing, are you."

She lifted her head and smiled wickedly. "Of course not, dear Cameron."

"Yeah, that's what I figured," Cam murmured before crushing his mouth to hers. He laid back on the bed, taking her with him. They stripped off the remainder of his clothing, then went on an intensive search of each other's bodies, first with their hands, then with their mouths. Cameron soon brought Vala to her second climax.

Afterwards, she lay still on the bed, a very happy, very satisfied smile on her face. She felt incredible, her whole body thrumming with pleasure. Cameron Mitchell was turning out to be a fantastic lover. However, it was now her turn to show him how great a lover _she_ was.

Vala proceeded to do that very thing. By the time she brought Cam to _his_ second climax, he'd learned that all of her previous boasting about her skills in lovemaking had not been exaggerated.

"This time, I really do need to go," he said sometime later.

Vala twirled a few strands of his chest hair in her fingers. "And will I be getting the pleasure of your company again tomorrow night?"

Cam very much liked the idea of doing this again tomorrow, but, unless they were prepared to inform General Landry right away about the change in their relationship, it would not be wise to do it again so soon.

This brought up some other questions. How exactly was their relationship changing? Was this a temporary thing, a brief affair, or would it be continuing? Did he want it to continue? What he'd just shared with Vala had been fantastic, but great sex was one thing, an actual romantic relationship was another.

Cam rolled onto his side and looked down at the woman beside him. "I think we need to discuss where this is going, Vala."

"Going?"

"Yes, and don't pretend like you don't know what I mean. Are you only interested in a bed partner or something more?"

Not meeting his eyes, Vala asked. "What is it that _you_ want?"

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not really sure. I was not expecting this to happen. I'm still shocked that it did. So, I'd say that, at this point, we're going to have to wait and see where it goes. But just sex and nothing more is not the kind of relationship I've ever had, so I think it's best if I know right now if you have any interest at all in a real boyfriend-girlfriend relationship."

"And if I don't?"

"I don't know. We'd still to have to wait and see what happens."

Vala fell silent. What happened between them tonight had been amazing, but was she willing to have a real relationship with Cameron? No romantic relationship she'd ever had with a man had survived for long, and most of them ended quite badly.

Vala lifted her gaze and stared into the eyes of the man with whom she'd just had some of the greatest sex of her life. Though she cared about him as a friend and sexually desired him, she was not in love with him and really didn't know if she could ever feel that way. But what she shared this night with him had made her feel really good, and she wanted to keep experiencing that.

"I'm really not sure," she answered honestly. "I won't say no to something more than sex, but, right now, I can't say yes either."

Cam nodded. "Okay. I guess that will do for now. As for your first question, no, I think it would be a bad idea if I came here again tomorrow night. Until we are ready to go to General Landry and tell him that our relationship has changed, we need to do all we can to stay under the radar."

"Wouldn't we get into trouble if he found out?"

"Probably so, though, since you're a civilian, there are no regulations against us dating. The main issue would be the fact that we're on the same team, and I am, technically, the team leader, although that's up for debate more often than not. A case could be made that, since Sam and I are of equal rank, and all the other team members are not in the military, the usual hierarchy does not apply. For instance, I do not write evaluation reports on Sam because she's of the same rank. Actually, she has seniority over me by nearly a year. So, though Landry would likely be pissed and might go as far as putting an official reprimand in my record, I'm not going to be court-martialed, and I seriously doubt that he'd take me off SG-1."

"But what about me? Might he take me off the team?"

"I really don't know, Vala. We are presently the only SG team with more than four members, so some higher-ups could push for you to be transferred to another team or made a consultant only."

Vala hated the idea of losing her place on SG-1. She didn't want to be on another team, and the thought of going back to the way it was before she became a member of SG-1 was almost unbearable.

Seeing the look on her face, Cam said, "I guess this really is something we should have talked about first. If this thing between us is going to continue, eventually, Landry will have to be told. It cannot be kept a secret forever. Are you willing to take the chance that you'll be pulled off the team?"

"I have to admit that it would upset me a great deal if I was taken off SG-1." Vala looked back up at him. "Can we just wait for a while and see how things go?"

"All right."

Cam got out of the bed and began putting on his clothes, very aware of the fact that Vala was watching him. Once he was dressed, he leaned over the bed and gave her a kiss, one that she returned quite enthusiastically. A big part of him was wishing that he could stay here with her, especially since he had no idea when they'd be able to get together again. If Vala lived off base, there would be no problem, but that was not the case. Therefore, it could be that the only time they'd be able to be together were on Cam's days off, that is unless they were willing to risk discovery by doing again what they did tonight. At least tonight, he was leaving early enough that the reason for his presence in Vala's quarters could be something perfectly innocent. In fact, he was planning on making it appear as if he'd just been spending a social evening with her.

As he opened the door and stepped out into the corridor, he turned back and said, "Thanks for the movie and popcorn, Vala. See you in the morning." He gave her a little wave, shut the door, and strolled down the corridor to his own quarters as if he didn't have a care in the world, when, in reality, he was as taunt as a bowstring. He didn't relax until he was in his room.

As he got dressed for bed a while later, Cam couldn't help but wonder if what happened tonight would turn out to be a very big mistake.

* * *

_'Lord help me. This woman is going to drive me insane!'_

That was the thought that ran through Cam's brain as he sat in the commissary the next morning. The reason for the silent cry was the person sitting next to him at the table. He had been eating for a few minutes when Vala came over and, instead of sitting across from him, chose the seat right next to his. Why she made that choice soon became apparent, for, not long afterwards, the touching began. When she reached for the salt shaker, she deliberately ran her fingertips down Cam's forearm. She adjusted her position on the seat, and not-so-accidentally touched his hip. When she dropped her napkin on the floor and reached under the table to retrieve it, her breast came in contact with his thigh.

And so it continued, Vala coming up with all sorts of imaginative ways to touch Cam's body without making it look inappropriate. To the casual observer, nothing would look amiss.

At last, after putting up with it for around ten minutes, Cam couldn't take it anymore.

"Vala, stop it!" he hissed under his breath.

"Stop what, Cameron?" she asked oh so innocently. He looked at her and saw an expression of sultry desire in her eyes. That's when the mental cry issued forth.

Cam turned back to his food and rather forcefully cut off a chunk from his waffle, shoving it in his mouth.

When, a minute or so later, Daniel and Sam joined them, he breathed a gigantic mental sigh of relief.

"So, are you all ready to exercise your negotiation skills tomorrow?" he asked the archeologist.

"I suppose so, although I still think that SG-9 would do a better job. That's what they're trained for. Being a diplomat and negotiator are definitely not things that I studied in college."

"No, but you're a natural born diplomat, Daniel," Sam responded. "We've all seen it. Colonel Edwards still talks about how you kept everyone from getting slaughtered by the Unas on P3X-403. I know you'll do great."

"Thanks, Sam."

They all turned their attention to their meals. They'd been eating in silence for perhaps a minute when Vala suddenly said, "Cameron and I watched a very enjoyable movie last night."

Cam, who'd been in the process of swallowing, promptly choked. As he gasped and coughed, Vala patted his back.

"You okay?" Sam asked him in concern once he could breathe properly again.

"Yeah. Just went down the wrong pipe." Wanting to stop any questions about the nonexistent movie, Cam then said, "Hey, I understand that Siler got hurt again. Something about a pipe wrench?"

Daniel answered the query. "Yeah. He dropped it on his foot. It didn't break anything, but he's going to be hobbling around for a while."

For the rest of the meal, Cam made sure to keep the conversation flowing so that Vala would have no more opportunities to make any seemingly innocent remarks that were anything but innocent. He escaped from the commissary as soon as he'd finished eating.

He'd been in his office for around an hour when Vala came in.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself at breakfast," he said, subjecting her to a glare.

She sat on the edge of the desk. "Yes, the meal was quite enjoyable."

"That's good because what you did is not gonna happen again."

"Now, don't be a spoilsport, Cameron. I was just having a little fun."

"At my expense. You have to stop doing things like that, Vala. While we are on duty, we need to act professionally. I know that will likely be impossible for you to do, but you do at least have to act toward me like you did before this got started." He shot her another glare. "I mean it, Vala. No more playing around."

The dark-haired woman gave a dramatic sigh. "Very well." She stood up. "Are you certain that you cannot come over tonight?"

"Positive. Besides, we've got a mission tomorrow, so we both need to get plenty of sleep."

"So, no staying up late, watching movies." She put just the slightest bit of emphasis on the last two words.

"Nope. Sorry."

"Perhaps another night, then."

After she was gone, Cameron sighed and shook his head. "This is not going to be easy," he muttered, wondering if anything involving Vala was ever easy.

* * *

As SG-1 stepped out of Hedavin's Stargate Tuesday morning, a small group of people came forward to greet them, led by a thin man in his late fifties.

"The Hedavi welcome you back to our world," the man said, bowing to them.

Daniel returned the bow. "Thank you, Nitiren. We are happy to be back and hope that our time here will prove to be fruitful for both your people and ours."

"That is our hope as well. Come. We have prepared lodgings for you. I will take you there first."

SG-1 was led to a place near the edge of town. A row of tiny cottages sat nestled against the forest that surrounded the township.

"These cottages are reserved for visitors to our town," Nitiren explained. "They are small, each one containing little more than a bed, chairs and a lavatory, but I hope that you will find them comfortable." He paused, studying them. "Was it correct for us to prepare a separate cottage for each of you?"

"Um, yes, that's fine, Nitiren," Daniel answered.

The five teammates checked out one of the cottages, finding the interior neat and clean, around the size of the average motel room. It had a bed just a bit smaller than a queen, two chairs, a small table, and a closet. Through a door was the bathroom, which had a tub but no shower. Since they would likely be staying on the planet for two or three days, it was nice that this was among the few cultures they'd encountered that had indoor plumbing.

Each member of the team selected a cottage and left their packs there, then they followed Nitiren to the meeting hall. On the way, Daniel thought about the job that lay before him. When SG-1 first visited this planet, they discovered the inhabitants in possession of stones that somehow glowed, yet produced no heat. Fascinated by the glowing rocks, Sam borrowed one and had some tests done, which indicated that the light was being generated by an unusual chemical process that was taking place right inside the rock.

A lot of people became very interested in the rocks, thinking that they could be a new source of energy. The SGC was given orders to procure as much of the rock as possible. The problem was that the stones were of religious significance to the Hedavi, playing an important role in many of their ceremonies, so getting them to part with a large number might not be easy. Daniel had been given permission to offer the Hedavi just about anything they wanted, short of weapons and other technology that would be too dangerous to give them. At the same time, however, he was told not to be _too_ generous. In other words, give the Hedavi only as much as they demanded, and not one thing more.

As SG-1 entered the meeting hall, they saw that the other four members of the town council were already there.

"When last you were here, you told us that you wanted some of the Wani, the stone that glows," the lone woman on the council said. "Is this still true?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, it is, but we would only take as much as you are willing to let us have. We respect that the Wani has great significance to you. As we told you, we are willing to trade for it. We have medicines and technology that could be of tremendous benefit to your people. You said that you needed a month to decide." He looked about at the five council members. "Have you made a decision?"

Nitiren gave a nod. "We have agreed to begin trade discussions."

Daniel smiled. "Good. That's great to hear. We're prepared to begin the discussions immediately."

The council members all looked at each other, then back to SG-1.

"First, there is a grave matter that we are hoping you can help us resolve. We would not expect it to be part of the trade agreement."

"What's the problem?" Cameron asked.

"There is a group of raiders that comes during every harvest. They steal our crops and livestock, attacking anyone who stands in their way. The time of the summer harvest is upon us, and, soon, they will be back. We have seen your weapons and know that they are powerful, and we hope that you can stop them from raiding us again."

The members of SG-1 shared another glance.

"We'd like to help you out," Cam said, "but, even if we could stop them this time, we're not going to be here to stop them next year or any year after that."

"We know where their encampment is. It is a day's walk to the east. We had hoped that you could go there and show them your might. If they know that we are trading partners with you, they may choose to leave us alone for fear that you will retaliate if they attack us."

"So, you're suggesting that we go there, demonstrate that we could wipe them all out, then make them believe that, if they don't leave you alone, we'll make them sorry they bothered you?"

"We would be forever grateful," Ania, the female councilor, said.

"How many are in the raiding party?" Sam asked.

"We have never seen more than thirty men," the man named Davan replied.

Cam frowned. "We couldn't handle that many on our own. We'd need at least one other SG team, two to be on the safe side."

"It will be necessary to speak with General Landry," Teal'c stated.

"Yeah." Cam looked at the council members. "We're going to have to get permission for this from our superior, so we'll need to go back to Earth."

Nitiren nodded once. "Of course. You may go now and return when you have an answer."

When SG-1 came back through the gate after having been gone less than an hour, Landry was quite naturally puzzled. In the briefing room, the team explained everything.

"I definitely think that we need to consider helping them," Daniel said. "Not only is it the right thing to do, it might go a long way toward getting them to agree to us taking some of those stones."

Landry thought it over. "All right. SG-5 and 20 can go with you. But I want to make it clear that you are not to put yourselves at risk. If the situation looks like it could get dangerous, you are to back off. We're on that planet for a trade agreement, not to get into a fight with raiders."

"Yes, sir," both Sam and Cameron said. Cam then added, "Nitiren said that the raiders' camp is a day's walk from the town. We'd never make it there before dark today, so I suggest that we head out first thing in the morning. With the time difference, that would be. . . ." He looked at Sam for help.

"If we got started at dawn, that would be around 0400 Colorado time," she said.

Daniel spoke up. "I don't want to delay getting the trade talks started, so I'd like to go back there now."

"Actually, I was thinking that, with SG-5 and 20 to back us up, Teal'c, Vala and I can handle the raiders," Cam responded. "I think it's more important for you and Sam to get that trade agreement done."

Landry nodded. "All right. SG-1, you go on back to the planet. I'll send SG-5 and 20 through at 0400 our time."

The council members were pleased to hear that General Landry had agreed to helping them with the raiders and were happy to get started on the trade negotiations.

Figuring that he and Teal'c would be of no use in the negotiations, Cam asked if there was someone from whom they could get more information about the raiders. They were introduced to one of the men who acted as the town's law enforcement. As the pilot and Jaffa went off someplace to talk with the man, Daniel and Sam got started on the negotiations. Vala chose to wander around town, knowing that she'd soon be bored to tears by all the talking.

It didn't take long for Sam and Daniel to find out that the council wanted details on each item that was offered for trade, as well as explanations and examples on how the things could be used by and benefit the Hedavi.

They took a break for the midday meal and met up with the rest of their teammates.

"So, how's it going?" Cam asked.

"Slowly," Daniel replied. "What did you find out?"

"From what we learned, the raiders are fairly organized in their attacks, but a bit lacking in self-control. They don't tolerate anyone standing in their way or trying to stop them. They've beaten some people pretty severely, though there have not yet been any deaths. Their weapons are the same as what we've seen around here: mostly swords and knives, with a few clubs thrown in. They've likely got bows and arrows as well."

"So, what's the plan? You go over there, shoot a few rounds into the air, and tell them to leave the town alone or else?"

"More or less. We can't really make any concrete plans until we see what we're up against."

After eating, Daniel and Sam returned to the meeting hall and resumed the discussions. By the end of the day, some progress had been made.

"I can pretty much guarantee that we're not going to have an agreement tomorrow," Daniel said as he and his teammates sat gathered around a large table near the cottages.

"Well, since we're not gonna make it back here until day after tomorrow at the earliest, I guess that means you'll be keeping busy while waiting for us," Cam responded. He stood, taking a piece of fruit from the basket on the table. "I'm going to walk the perimeter. Teal'c? Care to keep me company?"

The Jaffa inclined his head, got to his feet, and walked off with Cam into the darkening township. Daniel and Sam went off to their cottages, wishing each other and Vala good night.

After writing in his field journal for a while, Daniel began to feel a little restless, his mind not on the events of the day, but, rather, on the woman who was in the cottage right next to his.

Deciding that a short walk might help him relax, Daniel went outside. He ended up not walking far, only to a large tree that stood in a grassy area around thirty yards from the cottages. He leaned against the tree and gazed at the silent town. The people were all home for the night, with their spouses and their children. After Sha're died, he had given up hope of ever having that in his life. Now, that hope had returned . . . but was is a foolish hope?

"Daniel?"

The archeologist turned to see Sam coming toward him. He stood up straight.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. I just came out for some air. I've got a lot on my mind."

"Don't worry, Daniel. I have confidence that we'll be able to work out a trade agreement."

"Maybe, but that wasn't what I was thinking about."

Guessing what it was that he _had_ been thinking about, Sam said, "Oh. I have to admit that it's been on my mind a lot, too."

Daniel searched her face. "It felt really good to kiss you like that, Sam." He smiled slightly. "It sure was hard waiting for it, though. I wanted to kiss you on our first date. On our second date, I almost couldn't stop myself."

"So why did you?"

Daniel's gaze dropped, and, for a while, Sam thought that he wasn't going to answer.

"I was afraid," he finally admitted in a low voice.

Surprised, Sam stared at him. "Afraid? Of what?" When it became clear that Daniel wasn't going to reply, she touched his arm. "Please tell me, Daniel."

"I was afraid that you wouldn't feel anything."

Sam kept staring at him, saddened by his confession. How could he think that she wouldn't feel anything? She then answered her own question. Because he had been afraid that she would never feel more for him than friendship.

"Daniel? You don't have to be afraid of that anymore."

Daniel's head came up, and he looked into her eyes. She gazed right back at him. Realizing what she was telling him, he closed the distance between them, cupped her cheek, and lowered his mouth to hers.

Their second kiss was just as good as their first, maybe even better. They drew apart fractionally, lips mere millimeters apart.

"Yes, I'm definitely feeling something," Sam whispered, which was probably the biggest understatement she'd uttered in her entire life. She wanted another kiss, and, this time, she didn't wait for Daniel to be the one to close the distance. As she felt his lips part beneath hers, his breath mingling with her own, the heat that had kindled inside Sam blossomed outward, alighting every part of her. She opened her mouth, inviting Daniel inside. He eagerly took the invitation, and the flame exploded into a Naquadah-fueled inferno. As he consumed her mouth, she did likewise to his, their tongues mating over and over again. Daniel moaned low in his throat and tangled a hand in Sam's hair as the kiss continued growing in passion, his whole body feeling like it was going to go up in flames.

Sam was now up against the tree, one hand at the back of Daniel's head, the other fisted in his jacket at the small of his back. They were pressed so tightly together, yet they both wanted more, desire rampaging through their minds and bodies. Neither one of them wanted to stop, but the need for air finally made it necessary. Breathing heavily, they stood unmoving, Daniel's forehead once again resting against Sam's. They were both trembling.

A couple of minutes had passed when Daniel said, "I need to go."

No! Sam didn't want him to go. "Why?"

"God, Sam. Do you really have to ask?"

That's when she became aware of the tension in his body. And then she felt something else, something that told her how much that last kiss had affected Daniel.

_'Oh, God,'_ Sam moaned in her mind, the evidence of his arousal making her already elevated temperature shoot up even higher. This was crazy! Two kisses, and she was actually considering taking him to her cottage and finding out if he was as passionate a lover as she suspected.

Sanity managed to return to Sam, and she let Daniel go. He took a step away from her, giving her the opportunity to look into his eyes. She gasped at the sight. They were burning into her like blue fire, making a hot, tingling feeling wash through her body. God, she wanted him. Whether or not she was falling in love with him, her body was telling her in no uncertain terms that it wanted him naked in bed with her.

Sam swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat as she desperately reined in her rampant desire.

"I-I-I'll see you in the morning," she stammered.

Daniel nodded, not trusting his voice. His need for her was clawing free of his control, and if he didn't leave now, he was going to be in a whole lot of trouble. He turned away and strode quickly toward his cottage. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught a flash of movement several yards away, but he was too intent upon his destination to look that way. At last, he reached his cottage and went inside.

Daniel recalled the thoughts he had after their second date, that kissing Sam would be a real test of his self-control. So much for that self-control. He'd just about devoured her with that last kiss. The thing was, though, that she'd been kissing him with just as much passion. So, what did that mean? He didn't dare to think it meant that she'd fallen in love with him. However, he did recognize that she must be feeling desire. You didn't kiss someone like that if you did not want them.

So, could he make love to her knowing that she wanted his body, but didn't yet love him? He knew the answer was yes. It would be a dream come true if, when they had sex for the first time, it was an act of mutual love, but his physical desire for her had been unleashed by those kisses, and if she invited him into her bed, he'd accept without hesitation. Just the thought of it was making him hot. What he wouldn't give for a very long, cold shower right now.

* * *

Sam lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Fifteen minutes had passed since she and Daniel parted, and she was still feeling the effects of their kisses. Wow. She'd heard about mind-blowing sex, but mind-blowing kisses? She had yet to experience the former, but she now knew what the latter felt like, and if just _kissing_ Daniel was that good, then it was very likely that she would soon find out what the first thing felt like, too. That thought made heat rush through her. She began to imagine Daniel's hands gliding across her skin, his lips on her breasts, her stomach and lower. Her respiration increased as the fantasy continued, Daniel uniting his body with hers, the two of them moving together in shared passion.

This really was insane. Less than two weeks ago, she was wondering if she could ever feel more than friendship for Daniel, and, now, she was fantasizing about making love with him. How did this happen so fast? The sensible thing to do would be to slow things down, but Sam didn't want to slow things down. She felt high, like she'd just taken the most potent stimulant known to man. She hadn't felt this good even after she and Pete had sex.

These overpowering feelings of desire couldn't possibly be all in her head. They were real. So, what was she going to do about them? Be her usual cautious self, who never jumps in with both feet when it comes to romance, or throw caution to the wind and go for it?

Deciding to put off answering that question until after they were back home, Sam got off the bed and headed for the bathroom.

* * *

Okay, so how many of you saw that sudden development with Cam and Vala coming? :-D Yes, I know that was quite the leap they made, but I honestly can't see those two making a slow, steady journey from friends to lovers. Supersonic would be more their speed.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

Wishing Teal'c a good night, Cam entered his cottage. All had been quiet on their walk around the town's perimeter. Not that he'd expected otherwise. From what he had learned, the raiders never struck at night.

The truth was that the real reason for the walk had been to clear his head. Throughout the evening meal, Cam had been unable to keep himself from glancing at Vala, the thought never far from his mind that she would be sleeping in the cottage right next to his tonight. Such thoughts were extremely unprofessional, and he had no business thinking them while on a mission, but he couldn't help himself, just like he'd been unable to stop himself from recalling every detail of their lovemaking . . . over and over again.

He'd had his share of lovers throughout his life, but he couldn't recall ever having one that made him feel so alive and so damn good. Of course, there was no way that he was falling in love with her. Not a chance. No, this thing between them was purely physical, and he was going to enjoy it however long it lasted, which probably wouldn't be for long. Vala was not exactly a long-term relationship kind of girl. Sooner or later, she'd lose interest. So, what about afterwards? As long as it didn't make things awkward between them at work, he figured that they should be all right.

Setting down his P-90, Cam froze as he heard a noise. It had sounded like water splashing in the bathroom. Cautiously, he approached the door and opened it. His eyes widened at the sight of Vala in his bathtub, running a bar of soap down her arm. He couldn't stop himself from ogling her body. Apparently, the Hedavi didn't have bath bubbles, so the only thing obscuring his vision was the soap in the water, and it wasn't doing a very good job of hiding anything.

Vala gazed at him with a come-hither smile. "Hello, Cameron. Coming to join me?" she purred.

A little voice in Cam's head pipped up with an enthusiastic "Yes!" He ignored it, as well as the tightening in the crotch of his pants.

"Vala, what are you doing here?"

"What does it look like, silly? I'm taking a bath."

"Yes, but why are you taking it in my bathtub?"

Vala gave him a very convincing look of surprise. "Your bathtub? Oh, am I in the wrong cottage? I'm terribly sorry. They all look alike."

Cam didn't believe for a second that she was here by mistake. "Vala, you have to leave. We're on a mission."

Vala let out a sigh. "Very well. Could you get me one of those towels?"

Cam reached for a towel and turned back to Vala – just in time to see her rise from the tub in all her naked glory. The pilot's crotch instantly got even tighter.

Cam thrust the towel at Vala, then strode out of the bathroom. Dammit! Why was she torturing him like this? He wasn't going to get a wink of sleep now!

Vala came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, and Cam breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that she was fully clothed. She sashayed up to him, then very deliberately ran a fingertip from his chest all the way down to his crotch and its undeniable bulge.

"Hmm. That looks quite uncomfortable," she said. "I could take care of that for you."

"No!" Cam shouted at the same time as the irritating little voice again cried, "Yes!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. "Vala, we need to get one thing straight. You are not to do things like this when we are on a mission nor any other time when we are on duty. I'm serious. I could get into a lot of trouble over stuff like this. Do you understand?"

Though Vala very much wanted to get him in bed for some hot sex, she really would hate to get him into trouble.

"All right, Cameron. I'm sorry. I will just have to curb my desire for your body until you are off duty."

"Thank you."

Deciding that she at least had to get a kiss out of him, Vala took hold of the collar of his BDU jacket and pulled his lips down to hers. He grabbed onto her and returned the kiss, which got way hotter than he really should have let it. As their mouths separated, Vala sensuously ran her tongue over his lower lip.

"Mmm. That should help keep me going for a couple of days," she told him. Then she released him, and, with a single backwards glance, left the cottage.

Cam fell back onto the bed. The woman really was going to drive him insane. On the other hand, there were definitely worst ways to go crazy.

* * *

It was another morning, and, yet again, certain members of SG-1 were having a hard time looking at certain other members, and Teal'c was watching them. What he had suspected was the reason for the attitude between two of his teammates had been confirmed, and, at the proper time, he would have to discuss the situation. This, of course, was not that time.

"Did you get clear directions to where the raiders' camp is?" Sam asked Cameron.

"Yes. We pretty much head straight for that lone hill." He pointed toward the hill. "The camp is in a small clearing. We'll probably hear them long before we see them."

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?"

"Positive. We'll be fine, Sam."

Just then, the gate began to dial, and everyone turned to it. After the wormhole connected, the voice of General Landry came through.

"We're here, General," Cam said in response. "Everything's good. You can send them on through."

A moment later, SG-5 and 20 appeared.

"Welcome to Hedavin, boys," Cam greeted. "I hope you're ready for a long walk." He turned to Daniel and Sam. "We'll do a radio check every six hours. If you don't hear from us in eight, call in the calvary."

Wishing the teams good luck, Sam and Daniel watched them leave. Their eyes then went to each other.

"Hey," the archeologist said, which was the first word he'd directed toward Sam that morning.

"Hey," she said back. "How did you sleep?"

"The truth? Not so good."

"Me neither," Sam admitted, knowing exactly why Daniel had not slept soundly. She gave him a little smile of embarrassment. "I think the last time I was so preoccupied with these kinds of thoughts was the night before the senior prom, when I was trying to decide if I was going to let my boyfriend get to third base."

That made Daniel laugh. "I think the last time _I_ was this preoccupied with these kinds of thoughts was during puberty."

It was Sam's turn to laugh. The laughter faded as they both grew serious.

Daniel caught Sam's gaze. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Me too."

With an effort, they turned their thoughts toward their job and began discussing their plan of 'attack', exchanging ideas on what they thought the best way to proceed with the trade talks would be.

"I think that one of Nitiren's biggest concerns is how his people are going to react to the news that they allowed visitors from another planet take some of the Wani," Daniel said. "He's worried that they'll be upset."

Sam nodded. "I agree. I definitely got that impression."

"We need to stress how much better the lives of their people will be with the things we're going to give them. I think the key is focusing on increasing their crop yield. Their problem with the raiders could factor into this. If they're producing more crops than they need for themselves, then, if the raids do continue, it won't mean that the people will go hungry." Daniel suddenly had a thought. "In fact, this might just give us a peaceful solution to the whole situation."

He told Sam his idea, and she agreed that it could work. They went in search of Nitiren. When they found him, he gave them a rather odd look. Choosing not to question him about it, Daniel asked what a good time would be to resume the trade talks. The Chief Councilor said that a bit later in the morning would be good.

Having a little time to kill, Daniel and Sam decided to go for a walk. They headed into the woods, aiming toward the river that was the town's main source of water. On the way, Daniel told her about the aqueduct system that the people had built to carry water to the town.

Once they got to the river, the couple stood on the bank and silently gazed at it. Then, as if a silent message had passed between them, they turned to each other. Two seconds after that, they were kissing like they were starving for each other. Then the caressing began, their touches growing progressively bolder. When Daniel's hand cupped Sam's breast, she let out a breathy moan, her head falling back. The exposed length of her neck was too much for Daniel to resist, and his mouth fell upon it. His tongue came out and slid across the rapidly beating pulse point, throwing Sam's sanity more than a little off-kilter. One of her hands went down to his butt, the other finding its way under his T-shirt. Her touch on his bare skin made Daniel want the same thing. He pulled her T-shirt out from her pants, and ran his hand over her side, inching up toward her breast.

The sound of laughing children made the couple break apart. They looked upriver and saw a small group of kids emerge from the trees. The children, who were dressed in what must be the Hedavi's version of bathing suits, began playing and swimming in a shallow, slow-moving area of the river.

"Let's get back to town," Sam said.

They walked in silence for a solid minute before Sam spoke again.

"That shouldn't have happened."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, Daniel. I'm as much to blame as you are. But we can't let it happen again, not while we're here. We're on a mission and should be acting accordingly."

Daniel nodded. He smiled slightly. "I'm starting to wish that we'd gone with the others. Then this would not be a problem."

"Yeah. We'll just have to avoid being alone in each other's company for any length of time."

Not long after they got back into town, they were told that the council was ready to resume the negotiations. Daniel waited for the right time to bring up the idea that had come to him. The council members definitely showed an interest in it, which brought the group a step closer to reaching a trade agreement.

At lunchtime, a halt was called to the talks, and Sam and Daniel left the meeting hall. The astrophysicist went to her cottage to use the bathroom. She came right back out after only a few seconds. There was a frown on her face.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked.

"All my stuff is gone."

Shocked, Daniel stared. "What?"

"My clothes, my extra gear, everything."

"I can't believe that somebody would steal them."

"Have you been in your cottage yet?"

"No."

"Maybe you'd better make sure your stuff is there."

Daniel went inside his cottage. He hadn't been in there for long when she heard him call her name. She joined him inside.

"Well, at least we know that your stuff wasn't stolen," Daniel remarked, pointing at the bed.

There, sitting in a neat pile, were all of Sam's things.

"Why in the world did they bring my stuff in here?" she asked.

Daniel suddenly recalled something. "Uh oh."

Sam looked at him. "What?"

"After we kissed last night, I thought I saw someone on my way to my cottage, but I didn't look to see who it was. I think that, whoever it was, they saw what happened between us, or at least part of it. It may even have been Nitiren himself who saw us. I recall him mentioning that he sometimes takes walks in the evening."

Sam almost blushed over the possibility that the Chief Councillor had witnessed their kisses. "Okay, but why would my stuff be moved over here?"

"Sam, the Hedavi have very strict beliefs on sex. Both men and women are expected to be virgins when they get married, and sex outside the marriage arrangement is considered sacrilegious. In fact, anything beyond hand holding before marriage is taboo because doing more than that could lead to passions getting out of control. Now, for obvious reasons, our viewpoints on sex and marriage have not come up in any conversations, so they might believe that our customs are similar to theirs. I didn't think about it at the time, but when Nitiren asked if it was correct for each of us to have a separate cottage, he was probably really asking if any of us were a married couple. When I told him separate cottages were fine, he assumed that we were all single."

Sam now understood where he was going. "But if Nitiren witnessed us kissing. . . ."

"He might think that he'd made a mistake, but we chose not to point out his error."

"Oh my God. He thinks we're married?"

"That would be my guess. This explains that weird look he gave us this morning."

"But why didn't he ask us instead of taking the liberty of moving my stuff here without my permission?"

"It's a matter of respect. Do you know what the term 'saving face' means?"

"Um, doesn't it mean to do something so that people will continue to respect you?"

"In a nutshell, although, sometimes, it has more to do with a person's self-image than what others think of them. Among the Hedavi, if a person makes a mistake or gets something wrong, they are allowed to save face by correcting the error without anyone saying anything about the mistake or its resolution. In other words, a mistake is made, then fixed, and none of the parties involved say a word about it, as if the mistake never happened at all."

"Can't we just tell him that he was right to begin with?"

"I'm afraid that might cause a problem. I honestly don't know how it would affect the negotiations if they learned that we're not married, yet we were doing a hell of a lot more than just holding hands."

Sam groaned and sat on the bed. "So, what are we going to do?"

"I'm afraid that you're, uh, going to have to stay here tonight. I can sleep on the floor. Hopefully, everything will be wrapped up tomorrow, and the others will get back early enough that we can go home."

The thought going through both of their minds was that, even if Daniel did sleep on the floor, tonight was going to be one hell of a workout for their self-control.

"You have no idea how glad I am that Cam and Vala aren't here," Sam muttered. "We'd never hear the end of this."

* * *

The eleven SG team members crouched within the early evening shadows at the edge of the forest. A hundred feet away was a small encampment of twenty-eight men. Off to the left were at least twice that many horses. The townspeople had no horses, which was probably one of the reasons why they'd never considered going after the raiders. Some of the horses were clearly draft animals intended to pull the carts that the raiders probably planned on filling with stolen crops.

That would not be happening this time.

Cam gestured at the others, and the group silently pulled back. They withdrew around two hundred yards.

"All right," Cam said. "There's not enough daylight left to move in on them now, so we'll go in at first light. Hopefully, we'll catch most of them while they're still sleeping." He turned to the leader of SG-5. "Harper, I want your team to keep an eye on them. If they give any indication that they're going to break camp in the morning, we need to know immediately."

"Yes, sir."

"We'll camp here. I'm afraid that we'll have to do without a fire tonight. We can't take the chance that any of the raiders will see it."

Everyone got busy setting up camp. As darkness descended, the only illumination in the camp was from a single low light lantern, which cast no more light than a candle. They gathered around the lantern and discussed their strategy.

"Do you think that Daniel's idea will work?" Vala asked SG-1's leader.

Cameron thought about what the archeologist told him during the first radio check. "I guess it all depends on whether or not those guys actually enjoy what they do. All the food they steal must be intended to feed somebody. My guess is that they have families somewhere."

"I believe that you are correct, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said.

"So, why don't they grow their own crops instead of stealing from other people?" a member of SG-20 asked.

"Probably the same reason that people did similar things on Earth," Cam replied. "They either don't want to or don't have the ability."

"The highland people of Cendira were like that," Vala said. "They considered it to be beneath them to grow their own food, so they stole it all from everyone else. Eventually, the people they were stealing from wiped them out."

"Well, let's just hope that these raiders are willing to be reasonable. It'll be a lot easier than trying to scare them away, especially if they have families to feed."

Cam took first watch, having too many things on his mind to sleep. Because there were so many of them to share the duty, each watch would be only one hour long.

Vala started walking toward her tent, then changed her mind. She returned to where Cameron sat and settled beside him.

"You did not assign a watch to me, so I'll just share yours," she explained.

"That isn't necessary, Vala."

"I know. But two sets of eyes and ears are better than one, right?"

Cam stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. "All right." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "But no funny stuff."

Vala crossed a finger over her chest. "Cross my heart." She then gave him a smile.

As soon as everyone else was settled in their tents, Cam turned off the light, plunging them into darkness. Slowly, their eyes became adjusted to the dark.

"Cameron, look," Vala said in a whisper.

The pilot looked in the direction she was pointing and saw tiny pinpoints of light dancing in the air.

"Fireflies," he murmured. "Or at least the alien equivalent."

They sat in silence and watched the little glowing insects fly about. After a while, Cam felt Vala's arm wrap around his. He thought about withdrawing his arm, but decided that it would be okay for a little while. He did look at her, though.

"No funny stuff. I swear," she whispered.

He smiled and let out a soft chuckle, turning his gaze back to the forest. After a while, he decided that the simple contact felt kind of nice, and when she entwined her fingers with his, it felt even better. He was a little startled when Vala began to speak.

"When I was nineteen, there was a young man named Jinlan whom I loved. I would sneak out of the house at night for clandestine meetings with him."

"Did he end up becoming one of your husbands?"

"No. Not long after my twentieth birthday, Qetesh took me as her host. After I was freed, I went back home, but no one would have anything to do with me, including Jinlan. I tried to tell him that it wasn't really me who did all those terrible things, but he refused to listen. He . . . spat on me."

Cameron tightened his grip on her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Eventually, I gave up on anyone ever truly caring about me as a person. Most of my marriages were ones of convenience."

"None of them were about love?"

Vala paused before replying. "Tomin loved me."

"But you didn't love him. You married him only because you were pregnant with Adria."

"Yes, but I did care about him very much. He was a good person before the Ori brainwashed him."

"So, except for that first guy, you've never loved anyone?"

"No," Vala lied. She had never told Daniel that she'd loved him, and she wasn't about to admit it to Cameron. She looked at him. "What about you? Did you love Amy?"

"As much as any sixteen-year-old could."

"Anyone since then?"

"Not really, at least not enough to consider marriage."

They both fell silent. Again, it was Vala who broke it.

"I believe that Samantha is falling in love with Daniel," she announced in a whisper.

"Ah, so you saw it too, huh?"

"I doubt it will be long before they start having sex."

If it wasn't for the fact that it was Vala sitting there beside him, Cam would have been shocked by the blunt statement. "How about if we agree not to talk about Jackson and Sam having sex?" he whispered fiercely.

"Sorry. We could talk about the next time _we're_ going to have sex."

"No, we couldn't. And this definitely qualifies as 'funny stuff'."

"It does? I thought that 'funny stuff' referred to inappropriate touching."

"Funny stuff refers to anything and everything pertaining to this thing between us."

"Oh. My mistake."

Cam withdrew his arm from Vala's. "You should go to your tent. The next person on watch will be replacing me in twenty minutes."

Choosing not to object, Vala got to her feet. Unable to resist, she ran her fingers through Cam's hair and across the nape of his neck before leaving.

Alone inside her sleeping bag a while later, Vala thought about love . . . and the lack thereof. Twice, she had learned that loving someone could lead to heartache. She had loved Jinlan, and he shattered her heart by rejecting her in the most painful of ways. She had loved Daniel, and her heart was wounded yet again when she learned that he loved someone else. Thankfully, that wouldn't be a problem with Cameron. What they had was just physical, so if, one of these days, he decided to break things off with her, it would be all right, as long as they could remain friends. Yes, this thing with him did feel fantastic, and the sex was extremely satisfying, but she'd had satisfying sexual relationships with other men and was able to move on from them without any trouble. This would be the same.

Until it did end, though, she intended to enjoy this relationship with Cameron as much as possible.

* * *

For both Daniel and Sam, night had come far too quickly. They took turns in the bathroom, Daniel going first. When Sam came out, she saw that he'd spread a couple of blankets on the floor.

"Now, I'm wishing that I'd brought a sleeping bag," he said. "At least it would give me some padding."

Sam stared at the wood flooring, thinking that it was going to be terribly uncomfortable for him to sleep on. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. We sleep on the ground on most overnight missions. This shouldn't be all that much worse."

Sam's eyes went to the bed. She really should tell Daniel that he could share the bed with her. The problem was that she would very likely not get one wink of sleep, and she suspected that Daniel wouldn't either. Still, she should at least offer.

"Um . . . we could . . . share the bed."

Daniel looked at her sharply, hearing the nervousness in her voice. "I don't think that would be a good idea, Sam."

She sighed. "Probably not." She handed him one of the pillows. Then she crawled into the bed as Daniel tried to make himself as comfortable as possible on the floor. They wished each other good night, then Sam blew out the lantern, the room now illuminated only by the dim moonlight coming in through the curtains.

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness, both Daniel and Sam wide awake, extremely aware of each other's presence. This was not the first time that they had slept alone in the same room, but everything was so very different now. They each found themselves listening to the other's respiration, the little sounds they made as they shifted position.

Around fifteen minutes had passed when Sam heard a noise that was not that of Daniel breathing or moving; it was a grunt of pain.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Um, well, let's just say that I was wrong about sleeping on this floor not being much worse than sleeping on the ground."

Sam bit her lip. She could imagine how terribly uncomfortable he was down there.

Making a sudden decision, she said, "Get in the bed, Daniel."

There was a sound that she realized was choked laughter.

"Oh, God, Sam," Daniel said amidst the laughter. "You have no idea how many fantasies I've had of you saying something similar to that, but under _way_ different circumstances."

Sam snorted out a laugh of her own.

Daniel got to his feet with a groan and the popping of a few joints. Yeah, he was way too old to be sleeping on a hard floor. At the same time, he wasn't anywhere near old enough to lie on that bed with Sam and actually get any sleep. If he was around seventy, there wouldn't be a problem. Daniel thought about that and changed his mind. Even at seventy, he'd still want her. He might not have the ability to do anything about it, but the desire would still be there.

"Actually, I think I'll just sneak over to the cabin next door," he said. "As long as I get up before dawn, I should avoid being seen."

"And what if you _are_ seen? Daniel, we can't risk screwing up the negotiations because of this thing between us."

After a moment, Daniel sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

Feeling very nervous, he approached the bed. Sam moved over as far as she could, leaving him plenty of room.

Once Daniel was settled in the bed, silence returned. Though there was a pretty sizable gap between them, to the couple it felt like it might as well have been just a few millimeters. Though she knew it was impossible, Sam could swear that she felt the heat of Daniel's body. Her thoughts began drifting in the direction of that heat lying upon her.

_'No! Stop, stop, stop!'_ she screamed at herself as her temperature started to climb.

Out of desperation, she began running simple equations through her brain, something she sometimes did to help her fall asleep, her own version of counting sheep.

Daniel, on the other hand, knew that he could count sheep until he was approaching the number of stars in the galaxy, and he still wouldn't be able to get to sleep. Therefore, he didn't even try. He'd just have to drink a whole pot of coffee in the morning.

Since he'd given up on getting any sleep, he let himself think about his relationship with Sam. It was now confirmed that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. His hope was that her desire was a big step toward falling in love with him, although he knew that some people never got past the physical desire stage.

Daniel really had to wonder if they would make it to the fourth date before consummating their relationship. The way things were going, he had his doubts.

Suddenly, a memory came to him, and he couldn't stop the little laugh that escaped his lips.

Hearing the sound, Sam looked over at him. In the darkness, she could see a little smile on his face.

"What?" she asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about something I said to Jack. It was when he told me that he was going to invite you to go fishing with him. I told him that I thought he was making a mistake, that he should wait until after you'd been dating for a while before doing something like inviting you to go on a vacation alone with him. Part of the reason why I said that were my own feelings for you, but I really did believe that he was moving too fast. Now, here I am, after dating you for less than two weeks, and I'm wondering whether or not I'll be able to make it to the fourth date before making love to you. Talk about a hypocrite."

Sam smiled. "I see your point. It really is crazy, isn't it. I was thinking that last night."

Daniel turned his head and looked at her. "Are we moving too fast, Sam? Are we making a mistake? I don't want to make a mistake, especially not with you."

A few seconds passed before Sam answered. "The sensible thing for me to say would be yes." She turned on her side and looked straight into Daniel's eyes. "But, for one of the few times in my life, I don't want to do the sensible thing."

Daniel stared intently into her eyes for a breathless moment. In the next instant, she was in his arms, her lips being consumed in a kiss of fiery passion. Sam moaned into his mouth and pulled him tight against her. They were both breathing heavily by the time the kiss ended.

Daniel's hand ran down Sam's body, making her shudder with desire. "I want you so badly, Sam," he told her raggedly. "If we weren't on a mission. . . ."

"I know. I want that, too."

Daniel smiled. "We're going to have to schedule that fourth date for the earliest possible moment."

Sam laughed. "Boy, will we ever."

Daniel grew serious, his eyes gazing deeply into those of the woman in his arms. "Sam, I know that we can't do what we both really want to tonight, but, for me, the next best thing would be to sleep with you in my arms."

Sam felt her heart swell at his words and the tone of love in which they had been spoken. "I would like that very much."

Daniel pressed another kiss to her lips, this one soft and sweet. Then he pulled her head down to nestle beneath his chin. He let out a deep, happy sigh and let his body relax. Sam wrapped an arm around him, nuzzling into his chest, the smell of his skin filling her nostrils. Gradually, the physical desires faded away and were replaced by the simple pleasure of being in each other's arms.

Fifteen minutes later, they were both asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cam studied the camp of the raiding party. The sky was just starting to lighten, and many of the men were already up, far more than he'd anticipated. He suspected that the reason was that the raiders intended to break camp, most likely to travel to their destination. If everything went as planned, they would never set foot anywhere near that destination.

"All right," Cam said in a low voice. "Let's go wake the rest of those guys up."

Everyone rose to their feet and stepped out of the cover of the trees. They were spotted almost immediately, and a warning shout was given. Those who had still been asleep awoke and sprang to their feet. Several men grabbed swords. The SG teams responded by aiming their weapons at the armed men.

"Ah ah ah," Cam said. "I'd advise you to put those down."

"Who are you?" one man asked with a note of challenge.

"We're visitors to your planet, and, as it just so happens, we're also in trade negotiations with the town that you fellows are likely intending to raid. So, you see, we really can't let you carry out your plans. So, how about if you make it easy on everyone and go back to wherever you came from."

The raiders all looked at each other . . . then laughed. The one who had spoken before did so again.

"Our numbers are nearly three times that of yours. How do you intend to stop us?"

Cam glanced at the leader of SG-5. "Harper? Give them a little demonstration."

Harper stepped forward, picked a target, and opened up on it with his P-90. The trunk of the young tree was pulverized by the hail of bullets. The raiders weren't looking quite so confident after that.

Cam spoke up again. "Now, as you can see, we could bring down every one of you before you made it across half the distance between us. So, I say again. Lower your weapons."

Yet again, the raiders looked at each other, many clearly uncertain what to do.

"Do it," the spokesman finally commanded. The other men followed his order.

Once every sword was on the ground, the SG teams approached the raiders. They stopped around four yards away, far enough away that they'd have plenty enough time to shoot anyone who suddenly made a dive for their weapon.

"All right," Cam said. "Now we can talk. The people in the town to the west of here have said that you are raiding them during every harvest, and you're not very nice about it. Now that we're working on being trading partners with them, we can't allow that to continue, not now, not ever again. So, you can consider that town to be off limits. However, since we figure that you guys probably have mouths to feed, we might be able to work out another arrangement. Among the things on the bargaining table of the negotiations is stuff that should dramatically increase the town's crop yield. Since, baring circumstances like drought and flooding, they'll have an excess of food, they might be willing to give you guys some of the surplus in exchange for you never again taking anything from them by force. You'll still get the food you need, and no one else will get hurt."

The man who was apparently the leader of the raiders frowned severely as some of his men muttered.

"We do not take handouts like old beggars in the street," he declared proudly.

"So, you think it's more noble to steal food from women and children than to accept charity?" Vala asked.

"Vala," Cam hissed.

The raiding party leader's frown had deepened into a scowl. "Do not dare to criticize our ways, woman."

Cam quickly spoke. "Okay, let's just calm down. There is a lot that we don't know about you, including why you choose to steal crops farmed by others instead of growing your own. If it's a matter of not knowing how, we could help you with that. If you live in an area that doesn't have good soil, we might be able to help with that as well." He held up his hand when the frowning man opened his mouth to talk. "And don't say that's a handout. It's in our best interest to see that our trading partners remain healthy and happy, and if that means making it possible for you guys to grow your own food, that's what we'll do. You could consider it sort of a trade. We enable you to grow your own crops, and, in exchange, you leave our trading partners alone."

The man was still frowning, but not quite so deeply. "The land where we live will not sustain most crops. At one time it was lush and fertile, but the rains grew less each year, and most of the water sources dried up."

"So, why don't you move?" Vala asked.

"It is our ancestral home. To leave would be unthinkable."

Cam knew that there were some drought-tolerant crops that might survive in that kind of climate, but would it be enough to feed the people? Then there was the matter of livestock, something else that the raiders took from the town. It was unlikely that enough grass grew there to sustain both their horses and a small herd of cattle, although chickens and goats would be a possibility, which were things that even the townspeople didn't have. And pigs could be fed pretty much anything that was remotely edible.

Unfortunately, giving the raiders pigs, chickens and goats would probably feel like charity to them, even if it was in "trade" for them leaving the town alone.

One of the horses nickered loudly, drawing Cam's gaze in that direction. That's when an idea came to him.

"What's your name?" he asked the leader of the raiders.

"Marnan."

Cam jerked his head toward the horses. "Those are some fine-looking horses you have there, Marnan."

The man stared at him narrowly. "Do you have knowledge of horses?"

"Some. I was born and raised on a farm. I learned how to ride when I was six. We had a broodmare, and, when I was a kid, I watched almost every one of her foals being born. I'm guessing that you breed those horses yourself."

Marnan lifted his head proudly. "We have been breeding horses for hundreds of years. They are the finest and strongest in the land."

Cam nodded. "I'm sure you know that the townspeople have no horses. Ones like those draft animals you have there would really come in handy."

Marnan's frown was back. "What are you proposing?"

"How about a trade, horses for crops and livestock? You give the townspeople some horses, and, in exchange, they will give you their surplus crops, and we will provide you with livestock that you can breed and raise for food."

Marnan exchanged looks with his men, some of whom whispered things to him. He then turned back to Cam.

"Your proposition is intriguing, but what of the present? There would be no surplus crops. Our women, children, and old ones are waiting for the food we were going to get from the town's fields. There are other towns and villages that we also raid, but they are in other directions, and we would lose many days."

Cam was a little surprised by the last part of the man's statement, but he realized that he shouldn't have been. Any crops that were stolen would eventually run out or rot, so the raiders would have to have a constant source of food. Perhaps this deal would help more than one township.

"We'll provide you with the crops you need for now," the pilot replied, hoping that he'd be able to make good on that promise.

Again, Marnan stared at him closely. "The land from which you come must be very bountiful for you to so easily give away crops and livestock."

"Yes, it is pretty bountiful. It's also very big, lots and lots of farms. Getting all the crops and animals you need won't be a problem." _'I hope,'_ he added silently.

The leader of the raiders was silent for quite a while. He then stepped forward a pace. "I agree to your terms of trade. To seal the bargain, I will give you two of these horses." He motioned toward one of the other men, who ran off to fetch two of the large animals. He then gave Cam a penetrating stare. "But know this. If you fail to keep your end of the bargain, we will burn the town you protect to the ground."

"I understand."

The two horses were brought up to the SG teams. A member of SG-5 and one from SG-20 immediately stepped forward and took the lead ropes, leading Cam to believe that they had at least some experience with horses.

Realizing that he had to have some idea on how much food they would need to provide, Cameron asked Marnan what their total numbers were. The man reacted with suspicion, probably thinking that the information could be used to plan an attack against them.

"Look. I have to have some idea on how much food you need," Cam told him.

The leader of the raiders paused for a while longer, then gave Cameron the info he needed.

"It might take two or three days to get everything," the pilot said. "How would you feel about meeting us in four days in the small clearing that's just east of town?"

"That will be acceptable."

The three SG teams didn't relax until they were back in the forest. They had been walking for around ten minutes when Teal'c spoke.

"I am uncertain how General Landry will respond to your agreement with the raiders."

"Yeah, me too. But I couldn't give Marnan a bunch of ifs and maybes. Giving the raiders some food and livestock now will benefit us. It'll keep them away from the town while we're working on the trade agreement."

"And what's going to happen if the town decides that it doesn't want to trade crops for horses?" Vala asked.

"Then they'll just have to deal with the raids. It's pretty obvious that threats alone aren't going to keep those raiders away. If the townspeople aren't willing to work out a trade, then there's nothing we can do about it. If we can increase their crop yield, they'll have the extra food. Why let it go to waste when they can trade it for something that's going to be a big help to them? Frankly, the only problem I see is what's going to happen if a crop fails because of disease or bad weather. I guess that's something that the townspeople and the raiders will have to work out between them."

* * *

Sam was the first to awaken. As the fog of sleep cleared, she became aware of a weight on her chest. She opened her eyes to the sight of Daniel's head lying there. His left arm was wrapped snugly around her waist, just like a little boy hugging a teddy bear in his sleep. But the feelings that suffused Sam were most definitely not maternal. Half of her wanted to stay right where she was, and the other half wanted to wake Daniel up and make slow, sweet love with him. Since the latter was out of the question, she chose the former. Feeling very peaceful and content, she began running her fingers through his hair, a soft smile coming to her lips. Though they had not made love, this "morning after" was among the best that she could ever remember, which was strange considering that all she was doing was lying there while Daniel used her as a body pillow.

Sam tried to analyze why this felt so good and came to the conclusion that it was because it felt _right_. It didn't feel awkward or uncomfortable at all. Why not? Technically, this was their first time sleeping together, though not in the way that most people used that term. Would it be different if they _had_ made love last night?

Perhaps two or three minutes had passed when Daniel stirred. His eyes blinked open. He was more than a little surprised to find himself in the position he was in, though it certainly was a nice position in which to wake up.

Worried about Sam's reaction, Daniel lifted his head and looked at her.

"Um . . . good morning," he said. "Sorry about using you as my pillow."

Sam smiled at him. "_I'm_ not sorry."

Hearing that, Daniel smiled back at her. Then he lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was long, slow and deep, a sensual exploration of each other's mouths.

"You have no idea how sorry I am that we are on a mission," Daniel murmured after the kiss ended.

"Oh, yes, I do, because I feel the same way."

Daniel smiled again. "So, I guess the unexpected sleeping arrangements turned out not to be a bad thing after all. I think that's the best night's sleep I've had in months."

"Me too, which is really weird. I usually don't sleep well when I share a bed, probably because I'm so used to sleeping alone."

Daniel's gaze intensified. "Well, I have every intention of making it so that our nights of sleeping alone will be far outnumbered by our nights of _not_ sleeping alone."

"Mmm. I'm all for that."

Their lips came together in another kiss, which soon grew in passion. They put a halt to it before it got out of hand.

After getting dressed, they went to get some breakfast at one of the town's two public eating places. On the way, Cam's voice came over the radio.

"How did things go?" Daniel asked the pilot.

"Well, for now, I'll just say that you're not the only ones who had to do a bit of trade negotiations. If the townspeople and Landry are both in agreement with what we worked out, then the raids are at an end. I'll explain everything when we get back. We should be there before evening."

Very curious about what the agreement was that Cam worked out, Daniel and Sam resumed their journey.

The couple was around halfway through their meal when Nitiren came walking in. He paused upon seeing them, then came over to their table.

"Is all well this morning?" he asked, the slightest hints of uncertainty in his voice.

Daniel and Sam exchanged a glance.

"Yes, everything is fine, Nitiren," Daniel assured him. He knew that what the man was really asking was if the new sleeping arrangements were all right.

The Chief Councillor visibly relaxed. "Will your companions be returning today?"

"Yes, hopefully before it gets dark. They contacted us and said that they were able to work out a deal with the raiders, but it's something that your people will have to approve of as well."

"We will look forward to their return, then. As soon as they arrive, please have someone contact me, no matter how late in the day."

"We'll do that. When would you like to resume our talks?"

"In five time units, if that is good for you."

Daniel nodded. "That will be fine." A Hevavin time unit was roughly equivalent to ten minutes.

After finishing their meal, Sam and Daniel decided to take a short stroll through town. After a while, they came to an area that was similar to a playground, though it had nothing like the playground equipment that one on Earth would have. Instead, it had piles of small boulders for children to climb and scamper across, tree trunks turned into balance beams, and a little manmade pond for wading.

The couple stopped and watched the children at play. They'd been there for around five minutes when Daniel softly spoke.

"Sha're and I talked about having kids. Actually, that's not exactly true. On Abydos, it was pretty much a given that all married couples would produce children," there was a long pause, "or at least attempt to."

Sam detected something in his voice and looked at him closely. "What's wrong?"

"We tried, but Sha're never got pregnant," Daniel's gaze dropped to the ground, "not with me."

Sam took his hand. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I have to believe that, if she hadn't been taken, you and she would eventually have had a child together." Now, it was she who paused. "Do you want that? Have kids, I mean."

"Yeah, I do. There was a time when I wasn't sure if I'd ever want to have kids. Though I did have some great foster parents, I also knew what it was like to have ones who believed that their parental duties began and ended with making sure I was fed, clothed, went to the doctor as required, and did all my chores and homework. After finishing college, I was very focused on my career, and I didn't want to be an absentee father, always off working or at some dig somewhere." A tender smile curved his lips. "Everything changed when I married Sha're and stayed on Abydos." The smile disappeared. "I've lost her now, but I would still like to have children someday, although, at my age, 'someday' can't be put off for too much longer. I'd sort of like to see them at least graduate from high school before I reach retirement age." He looked at her. "What about you? Have you always wanted kids?"

"Well, when I was younger, I wanted tons of them. Like many little girls, I dreamed of having lots of babies. _Un_like most girls, however, I wanted to have all those babies while juggling a career as an astronaut. It never occurred to me that doing both would be rather tough. After I joined the Air Force, my focus turned more fully on that, although I still dreamed of having kids someday. As for now . . . yes, I still want kids even though I know that it would mean making some big adjustments in my life."

Daniel gazed at her closely. "I know that you wanted to adopt Cassie."

That surprised Sam. "How did you know? I never said a word to anyone."

"I think it was the way that you looked at her when Janet adopted her. I saw this look of longing in your eyes."

"Oh. Well, you're right, I did, but I knew that I'd have to leave SG-1 if I adopted her."

"Because of being gone on missions so much?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, there was that, but there was also the fact that being on an SG team is very dangerous. Cassie had already lost one set of parents. I didn't want her to lose another mo—"

Sam abruptly broke off, and her gaze fell away. Daniel instantly knew what she was thinking. Cassie ended up losing another mother anyway.

He drew Sam into a hug. Like her, he still missed Janet to this day. He had to wonder what the doctor would think of his and Sam's change in relationship.

As if she'd read his mind, Sam said, "She'd be happy about us. Janet knew that I had feelings for Jack, but we never talked about it, mainly because of the regulations issue. She'd be happy to know that I got over the thing with him and found what I have with you."

Daniel nodded. "And she'd be happy that I moved on from Sha're."

Putting away sad thoughts, the couple resumed their walk, aiming toward the meeting hall. They arrived just a few minutes before the trade talks were scheduled to resume.

A lot of progress was made in the negotiations that morning, both Daniel and Sam suspecting that it was due to the news about the possible agreement with the raiders. During the lunch break, Daniel decided to go for a walk by himself. He came to a marketplace, where all sorts of merchants were hawking their wares. As he walked down the street, he glanced at the merchandise, but it wasn't until he reached one particular stand that he came to a complete stop. His eyes fell upon something hanging from a hook, and he knew that, somehow, someway, he had to have it. The Hedavin used trade as their primary form of commerce, though they also had currency. The problem was that he had none of that currency nor anything he could use for trade that didn't belong to the U.S. Government. Even so, he approached the merchant and started talking to him, feeling the man out on what it would take to buy the thing.

Daniel was still thinking about it on the walk back to the meeting hall. He met Sam there, and the two resumed their talks with the councillors. The sun was low in the sky by the time they called a halt for the day.

Back at the cottages, Daniel and Sam sat down at the table.

"I was really hoping that we'd get everything all worked out today," Daniel said. Though they were very close to an agreement, they weren't quite there yet.

"Yeah, me too." Sam met his eyes. "It's a good thing that we'll probably have to return to the SGC today so that we can talk to Landry. We wouldn't be able to stay in the same cottage again tonight, not with Cam and the others being back."

It was an hour later when SG-5, 20 and the three members of SG-1 arrived in town. The horses got a whole lot of stares as they led the animals through the streets. They got stares from yet two more people when the group arrived at the cottages.

Daniel, whose eyebrows had gone up a notch at the sight of the horses, said, "I'm guessing that you've got quite a story to tell."

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.

Cam told Daniel and Sam about the agreement he worked out with the raiders.

"Um, what's going to happen if Landry doesn't go for it?" the archeologist asked.

"Then we'll have a big problem," the pilot replied. He revealed the threat that Marnan made.

"All right. The first thing we need to do is find out if Nitiren and the others are interested in trading crops and livestock for horses."

At first, the councillors were less than enthusiastic, but when both Daniel and Cam began pointing out how useful the horses could be, they started changing their minds.

"Now, since we'd be the ones supplying the food and livestock this time around," Cameron said, "We think it's only fair that you consider that to be part of our trade agreement with you."

Nitiren nodded. "Yes, it is only fair to do so." He looked about at his fellow councillors. "Please give us a moment to discuss this in private."

SG-1 left the meeting hall and joined the other two SG teams outside. SG-5 had contacted the SGC to let them know that the meeting with the raiders went well, though they did not go into any details.

SG-1 was called back into the meeting hall twenty minutes later.

"We accept the agreement with the raiders," Nitiren announced. "We have also agreed that because you are so generously providing the food and animals for the raiders this time, our trade agreement with you is now complete. We require no more negotiations."

"That's great news," Daniel responded. "We do need to talk with our leaders about the food and livestock to make sure that they don't have a problem with it. If they also agree, we'll be back in three days with all the stuff for the raiders."

The two horses were handed over to the Hedavi, Cam giving them quick instructions on what to feed them and how to care for them. The three SG teams then went through the gate.

After taking care of the post-mission exams and cleaning up, the five members of SG-1 met the general in the briefing room.

"Okay, so let me get this straight," Landry said after being told about the deal with the raiders. "You expect us to bring a bunch of crops and farm animals onto this base and cart them through the gate?"

"Yes, sir," Cam replied. "But, hey, look at it this way. It couldn't possibly be as bad as it must have been when the Hak'tyl had all their horses here."

Daniel recalled the smell and all the piles of poop that had to be scooped up. "Um, yeah, I'd say that's a fair assessment."

Landry thought about it for a bit. "All right. I'll call my superiors in the morning."

"Sir, we're going to need an answer very soon," Sam said. "We have to have those crops and animals in the hands of the raiders in three days."

"I'll press for a quick answer, Colonel. There is one thing, though. It might take a while, but, sooner or later, the people in that town aren't going to want any more horses from the raiders, especially if nature takes its course and the ones they get start breeding. What happens then?"

"I suppose they'll have to cross that bridge when they come to it," Cam replied.

"I should hope that, by then, the two groups will be on friendlier terms," Daniel said. "This does bring up something that I was thinking about earlier, though. The problem the raiders have is a lack of water. Now, here on Earth, some people who live in climates with little rainfall use systems that collect and store whatever precipitation they do get, then use it as needed. Rain barrels are used by a great many people all over the world to irrigate their yards and gardens."

Landry frowned slightly. "You're suggesting that we help them build something like that?"

"Well, maybe not actually help them build it, but we could teach them how. Even with their present technology, they could build something that might give them enough water to irrigate a small field of crops during part of the year. But there's something else they could do as well. The townspeople get their water via an aqueduct. Now, I don't know how far away the raiders live from a river or larger body of water, but I'm betting that it isn't too far for some kind of aqueduct system to span. The townspeople already know how to build aqueducts, which means that they could teach the raiders."

Sam smiled. "And if the raiders could get water to irrigate crops of their own, they would no longer have to rely on getting food from others."

Daniel nodded. "Exactly. It might be possible to completely put an end to the problem for everyone."

"Then I'd say that you have some more talking to do with both the raiders and the townspeople," Landry said. "As soon as I get an answer from my superiors on the crops and livestock, I'll let you know. All of you go on home and get a good night's sleep."

The teammates decided to eat an early dinner in the commissary before going home.

"So, what are we going to do if the brass won't go for it?" Sam asked.

"Well, I suppose that we could give the raiders back their horses," Cam replied, "which should prevent them from burning the town to the ground. But it isn't going to stop them from raiding the place, and if they come while we're there, we'll have no choice but to either defend the town or hightail back through the gate."

"I'm not going to just leave and let those townspeople get hurt," Daniel declared firmly.

"I, too, would be unwilling to do so," Teal'c stated.

Sam nodded. "I think we're all in agreement on that. The problem is that we might get orders to pull out if the raiders do attack."

"That would kill the trade agreement," Daniel said. "There's no way that the Hedavi would have anything more to do with us if we just abandoned them."

"I'm sure that Landry's figured that out," Cam said. "It seems to me that the higher-ups would be pretty stupid to throw everything away on this. After all, it's just some crops and livestock. We could get everything from the local farms and supermarkets."

An hour later, Daniel was walking through the door of his apartment. After hanging up his jacket, he went over to a display cabinet and stared at the contents for a couple of minutes before opening the glass door and removing one of the items. He thought about where it came from and its significance to him. He knew that it was worth way more than the item for which he was thinking of trading it, but it was unlikely that the merchant would care about how old it was or the history behind it. He would only care about how much he could sell it for.

Making his decision, Daniel carefully wrapped the item and placed it in a box, which he put in the coat closet.

He was heading for the kitchen when a knock on the door made him turn around. He opened the door to find Sam there. She was staring at him wide-eyed, the color in her cheeks heightened. Looking in her eyes, there was no need to ask her why she was there.

Silently, Sam stepped inside the apartment, and Daniel shut the door. And then they were in each other's arms, lips locked in a fiery kiss. Sam immediately began attacking the buttons of Daniel's shirt, desperate to get it and the rest of his clothes off him. He grabbed her top and yanked it upward. It was on the floor a few seconds later, followed by his shirt. Their pants joined the other clothing seconds later.

Sam impatiently unfastened her bra and tore it off. At the sight of her naked breasts Daniel drew in a sharp breath, his pupils dilating. He lifted her up and pressed her against the wall beside the door, her legs going around his waist. And then his lips were on her throat, and his hands were on her breasts. But it wasn't enough. They needed more, the reins holding in their passion having been immolated in the fire that was consuming them. Daniel pushed Sam further up the wall, and his mouth fell upon her breasts. Sam arched against him, her breath coming in sharp, rapid pants. She was going crazy with desire, wild and out of control.

In the same state of mind, Daniel had barely enough presence of mind to utter one important word. "Protection."

"Don't need it," Sam replied. She knew that they were both disease-free, and, as required for all women on SG teams, she was on birth control.

With that issue out of the way, Sam pushed his boxers down, and they descended to the floor. He kicked them aside, and, between the two of them, they managed to get Sam's panties off.

Daniel groaned at the feeling of Sam's nakedness against him, aching to complete their union. But it shouldn't be like this, not their first time.

"We should. . . . Bed," he gasped, struggling to get the words out.

"Yes," Sam whispered breathlessly.

Daniel stepped away from the wall and carried Sam into the bedroom. He laid her on the bed, settling upon her. In that moment, their eyes met, and the impact of what they were about to do hit them. After ten years of friendship, ten years of sharing triumph and loss, joy and sorrow, they were about to cross a line that, all those years ago, they would never have imagined crossing.

Daniel swept his fingers across Sam's cheek, all his love for her shining in his eyes. And then, with a long sigh, he slowly joined his body with Sam's. Her eyes slid shut, her entire body suffused with ecstasy from the sensation.

Slowly, Daniel began to move, awash in the glorious feeling, in the emotions that were filling him so full that he felt like he'd burst. He put his whole heart and soul into every move, every touch, wanting Sam to feel his love for her in their lovemaking. And she did. It touched something deep inside her, and everything he gave to her she gave back in full measure.

Gradually, their pace increased until they were moving together with fiery passion, soft cries and gasps rising from their throats. And then, suddenly, Sam was coming in an earthshattering climax that had her whole body shuddering. Daniel followed seconds later.

The ecstasy blazed through their bodies for an eternal moment, then slowly faded, leaving behind a feeling that almost had tears coming to Daniel's eyes. For all these years, he had imagined what it would be like to make love to Sam, but imagination had fallen far short of reality.

Daniel wasn't the only one high on a feeling of euphoria. More than once in her life, Sam had experienced what she would call great sex, but never before had it felt so fantastic and so utterly perfect.

Daniel began pressing kisses to her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks. He then lifted his head. He gazed into Sam's eyes and saw them shining with wonder and happiness. The sight made his own joy climb even higher. He pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you, Sam," he murmured. "I love you so much. I can't even describe how incredible that felt, how good _this_ feels."

Sam brushed a hand across his cheek. "It felt incredible for me, too, Daniel."

A smile began to form on Daniel's face. "It did?"

"God, yes," Sam confirmed, her voice ringing with intensity.

With a laugh of joy, Daniel pulled Sam into another kiss.

"Stay with me tonight," he said.

"I'm not planning on going anywhere."

Daniel lifted off of Sam, and the two of them got under the covers, returning to each other's arms. After a while, Daniel let out a soft chuckle.

Sam tilted her head up to look at him. "What?"

"It turns out that I was right about not making it to the fourth date."

Sam grinned. "Yeah, but it's my fault that we didn't."

"Hey, I'm not complaining. Besides, I have doubts that I'd have been able to hold off until after the whole thing with the Hedavi was finished."

"Ah, so if I hadn't come over here tonight, you would have been coming over to my place tomorrow night?"

Daniel returned her grin. "Yep."

"Good to know." Sam laid her head back down on his chest. Oh, how she wished that tomorrow wasn't a work day so that the two of them could spend the whole day in bed.

Sam analyzed that thought and what she was feeling at that moment. In the past, she had always felt at least a little bit of uncertainty, awkwardness and trepidation after making love with a man for the first time, wondering what her lover was thinking, wondering what would happen next, sometimes even questioning if it should have happened. But, this time, she felt none of those things. What she _did_ feel was absolute contentment and an exquisite sensation of fulfillment. She couldn't imagine any lovemaking ever feeling better than what she had just experienced with Daniel.

"I don't want to go to sleep," Daniel softly admitted, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Why not?"

"Because this feel so good."

Sam lifted her head to meet his eyes, wondering if he was harboring some small doubt that this would happen again.

"Yes, it does," she agreed. "But you know what?"

"What?"

"I bet it'll feel just as good the next time."

Those words made a big smile come to Daniel's face, lighting up his eyes. He brought his lips to hers in a long, deep kiss. He then settled his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes as Sam returned her head to its place on his chest. After just a few minutes, she heard Daniel's breathing deepen as he slipped into sleep. With a smile on her lips, Sam closed her eyes and followed him into slumber.

* * *

Daniel gazed into empty air, the happiest smile he'd had in many long years on his lips. Since arriving at the SGC, all he could think about was what happened last night . . . and this morning. He had awakened to the wonderful sensation of Sam in his arms, her naked body pressed firmly against his. She woke up just a couple of minutes later, and what followed was the most explosively passionate lovemaking of his life. They sent each other into the stratosphere and beyond. After coming back down to Earth and lying in recovery for a while, they reluctantly got out of bed. However, the joys of the morning didn't end there, for they showered together and proceeded to explore each other's bodies with intimate thoroughness.

Daniel couldn't believe how happy he felt. Not even with Sha're had he felt this way. He wanted to share his happiness with someone, but, of course, that would mean having to tell the person that he and Sam made love, and he wasn't about to do that.

"You and Samantha had sex."

The statement made Daniel's head snap around. There standing in his doorway was Vala, a smirk on her lips.

"Don't bother denying it," she said. "It was written all over your face . . . as was the fact that it was really great sex."

Feeling more than a little mortified, Daniel turned away from her and pretended to get to work.

Vala came in the room and sat in a chair. "So, how great was it?"

"I'm not talking about this, Vala."

"Okay, then I'll just have to ask Samantha."

Daniel focused a hot glare upon her. "Don't you dare! Besides, she wouldn't tell you either."

Vala knew he was probably right about that. "Come on, Daniel. You _have_ to tell me something. After all, I've been rooting for you all this time."

That shocked Daniel. "You have?"

"Yes. All right, so I admit that I wasn't very happy about it in the beginning since I wanted you for myself, but after I got over that, I was really hoping that things would work out for you with Samantha."

Daniel was still shocked. He was also very touched.

"Um . . . thank you. That means a lot."

Vala gave him a pleading look. "So . . . please? I'm not asking for any details. Okay, so I'd love to get details, but I'll settle for anything."

Daniel was silent for a long moment. "It was. . . ." He shook his head. "I can't even think of an adequate word to describe how it made me feel, better than any dream I ever had about being with her."

Vala smiled, genuinely happy for him. "I'm glad. It's very nice to see you so happy."

"Thank you." Daniel's gaze sharpened. "Speaking of relationships, did you follow my advice about Mitchell?"

"In . . . a way."

Daniel frowned. "What does that mean?"

"You told me to leave him alone if the only reason I was going after him was because I couldn't have you. I determined that wasn't the only reason. Now, I'm absolutely certain of it."

As Daniel stared at her narrowly, he made a sudden revelation. "Oh my God. You and Mitchell slept together, didn't you."

A gigantic grin spread across the dark-haired woman's face. "Oh, yes. And it was fantastic. You want details?"

"No! In fact, this conversation is at an end. I don't want to hear one more word about it."

Daniel pointedly turned back to his computer. After a brief hesitation, Vala got up and left. As soon as she was gone, Daniel's gaze went to the doorway. So, Vala and Mitchell had sex. He had to wonder when it happened. He also had to wonder why. Judging by what Vala said, she had decided that she truly wanted the man, but did this mean that Mitchell felt the same way? Apparently so since, if he didn't, he surely wouldn't have allowed it to happen. Regardless, Daniel had no intention of asking about it. It was none of his business.

Unbeknownst to Daniel, there was someone else who, at that very moment, was on their way to talk to Cameron Mitchell about that very thing.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

Cam took a bite of the toast he'd brought back to his office from the commissary, his eyes on the paperwork he was doing. Though he would have preferred to go home, he spent last night in his quarters on base because he'd suspected that, if he went home, Vala would have figured out a way to get a ride over there. Not that being with her wasn't something that he wanted. On the contrary, his sleep had been disturbed by more than one dream of making love with her. The problem was that if she'd come over to his place yet again, questions would have been asked.

Cameron had yet to figure out how they were going to get together without people suspecting something. Really, the only way they could do it would be during the day on his days off.

A knock on the door ended Cam's thoughts on that. He told the person to enter. Teal'c came in and shut the door behind him.

"Hey, Teal'c," Cam greeted. "What's up?" He took another bite of his toast.

"It has come to my attention that your relationship with Vala Mal Doran has changed to one of a sexual nature," Teal'c replied bluntly.

For the second time in a week, Cam found himself choking on his food. As soon as he stopped coughing, he stared at the Jaffa, a little wide-eyed.

"How did you find out?" he asked.

"I suspected that something was transpiring between you upon witnessing your conduct toward each other in the gate room before the mission to M6D-720. My suspicions were confirmed when I witnessed Vala Mal Doran leaving your cottage our first night on Hedavin."

"Damn. I just _knew_ this would happen. I knew somebody would figure it out."

"Were you, then, intending to keep your relationship a secret?"

"No, not permanently, but I was planning on waiting a while, until I figured out exactly where this . . . _relationship_ is going, if it's going to go anywhere at all."

Teal'c frowned ever so slightly. "You have doubts that it will develop further?"

"Well, yeah. Sure I do. Teal'c, this is Vala we're talking about. She's not exactly the kind of girl who believes in commitment. To be honest, I still don't know how the hell this happened. She started hitting on me, and I tried to ignore it. Actually, I was doing a pretty good job of it until that damn kiss she laid on me. After that, she wouldn't leave me alone. Even now that we're together, she's still at it. I tell you, Teal'c. She's merciless! If she put that much dedication and energy into torturing someone, she could probably get anyone to talk. I don't know how Jackson resisted her. I can only assume it's because he was in love with Sam the whole time. Well, I didn't have that advantage!"

Teal'c was quite amused by the pilot's words, attitude, and the slight whine in his voice. The Jaffa managed to hide the smirk that came to his face.

"You are saying that she seduced you," he said, knowing that a seduction would not work unless the one being seduced already wanted the seducer – even if they were consciously unaware of it.

"Yes!" Cam exclaimed. Then he realized how that sounded. "Well, in a way. She was coming on to me pretty strongly, but I thought that the only reason was that she couldn't get Jackson. But then. . . ." The lieutenant colonel sighed. "She came to my quarters wanting to know why I was turning her down. Looking back on it, I know that what I said really wasn't very nice. I told her bluntly that she wasn't the kind of woman I'd ever want in that way, and . . . it hurt her. I mean it really hurt her. I could see it in her eyes. She believed that I thought she wasn't good enough for me because of her shady past. She left, and, well, I couldn't very well let her keep thinking that, so I went to her quarters to talk to her. I found out that what I believed about why she was going after me was wrong. In the beginning, it was because Jackson was no longer in the running, but then she started wanting it for real because we'd been spending all that time together and really connected. And . . . that's when it happened. I think back on it, and I still don't know why I didn't stop it. I just couldn't."

"Perhaps it is because, in your heart, you wanted it as much as she did."

Cam thought about that. Was it possible that, despite everything he'd told himself, deep down inside, he really had wanted it?

"I don't know, Teal'c. Maybe I did. The point is that I really don't know where this is going. Does this thing between me and Vala have any kind of future?"

Teal'c studied him closely. "Do you wish it to have one?"

"Well, I have to admit that what's happened so far was pretty darn terrific, but I wasn't lying when I said that she was not the kind of woman that I'd pictured myself being with. I just don't want to commit to a relationship only to see it crash and burn in a few weeks. I've done that before, and it's not pleasant. That's why I've decided to take things one day at a time, just wait and see how it develops."

Teal'c silently watched the pilot for several seconds. "Only you and Vala Mal Doran can decide whether or not your relationship has a future," he then said. "There is, however, something I must say. Though we may believe that we know all there is to know about ourselves, sometimes, what we believe is false."

Leaving Cameron with that thought, Teal'c turned around and exited the room.

* * *

It was later that morning that the SGC got word that the deal Cameron made with the raiders had been approved. Now would begin the task of amassing the food and livestock and transporting it to the base. Every member of SG-1 was delighted that they would have no part of that. It was bad enough that they'd be the ones who'd have to get all of it through the Stargate and into the hands of the raiders, though they would have a bit of help in that regard. Landry intended to gather every military man and woman on the base with experience in handling farm animals and send them through with SG-1. Even so, the thought of dealing with the pigs was already giving Cameron nightmares.

Shortly before lunch, Daniel went to Sam's lab. She didn't notice him at first, and he smiled as he watched her intently studying the device on the worktable. As he stepped into the room, she became aware of his presence and lifted her head. As their eyes locked upon each other, they could both see the desire for a kiss. Unfortunately, it was a desire that could not be fulfilled, at least not at the present time.

"Will you be breaking for lunch today?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah, in a bit."

Daniel came up to her. "I know this is probably not the best time to talk about this, but what are we going to do about this thing with us?"

"What do you mean?"

"We can't keep our relationship a secret forever."

"I know," she said. "Eventually, we're going to have to tell Landry. I'm not looking forward to it, though."

"Me neither. I just hope that he doesn't insist that one of us transfer off the team."

"I'd be worried about that, too, if it wasn't for one thing."

"What's that?"

"I found out a few days ago that Captain Hopkins and Doctor Waterston are now dating. They're both on SG-21. General Landry must be aware of it, yet he hasn't taken either of them off the team."

"Well, that's a relief." He thought of something. "There is one possible problem, though."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Um, as it turns out, we are not the only two members of SG-1 who are now in a relationship with each other."

Sam blinked in surprise. "We're not?"

"Vala and Mitchell."

"Vala and Cam?" Sam exclaimed. "When on Earth did that start happening?"

"I'm not sure, sometime after Vala found out about my feelings for you."

Sam sat down heavily. "Vala told me that she considered Cam to be a satisfactory second option, but I'd never in a million years have thought that something would actually happen between them."

Daniel almost laughed. "A satisfactory second option?"

"Don't ask. It was in a conversation she and I had about Jack. So, the two of them have started dating?"

"Ummm. . . ."

Sam looked at the expression on his face, and her eyes widened as she realized what he wasn't saying. "Oh my God."

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"How did you find out?"

"Vala."

"Why doesn't that surprise me? You're right. This does complicate matters."

"Yeah. I'm afraid that we might have to call a medical team for Landry when he finds out."

"I wonder when Cam plans on letting the general know."

"I have no clue. I am, however, thinking that it might be wise to tell Landry about us first. Then it'll be Mitchell who has to deal with explaining the reason for the coronary."

"Good idea. We need to wait until after the stuff with the Hedavi is all wrapped up, though."

Daniel nodded. "Oh. There's something else I have to tell you since you'll no doubt find out from Vala sooner or later anyway. She knows that you and I have, uh, progressed beyond just dating."

The news made Sam blush. "How did she find out?"

"She caught me with a gigantic grin on my face. I was thinking about last night and this morning. She confronted me about it, and I couldn't lie."

"Just great. She does know enough not to blab it all over the base, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, I think so. I didn't tell her not to say anything, but I should hope that she's smart enough to realize that we need to inform General Landry about our relationship before it's made common knowledge around base."

"I guess this is another reason why we need to come clean as soon as it's practical."

"Yeah." Choosing not to think about that anymore, Daniel then said, "I was just about to go get lunch. Could you take a break now and join me?"

Sam smiled. "Now, how could I resist such an invitation?"

The conversation over lunch stuck to things going on at work. After finishing their meal, Daniel and Sam left the commissary together. As they got on the elevator, Daniel reached for the button for Level 19, but, on impulse, Sam stopped him and pressed the one for Level 17 instead.

"Um . . . where are we going?" Daniel asked.

"You'll see."

When they got off the elevator, Sam led Daniel to one of the empty rooms that were used for a variety of purposes as needed. Puzzled, Daniel glanced about the room.

"There are no camera feeds from these rooms when they're not being used," Sam explained meaningfully.

Daniel instantly understood what she was really telling him. He stepped forward, pulled her into his arms, and took her lips with his in a long, deep kiss. He then slowly drew away and looked into her eyes.

"Well, that hit the spot," he said, smiling.

"Yes, it did."

"So, does this mean that, whenever I have the urge to kiss you, I can bring you here?"

"I wish. Unfortunately, someone might start getting suspicious if we keep coming here."

"Well, then, I'd better make good use of _this_ time." Daniel followed those words up with another kiss, which Sam quite enthusiastically returned.

"You are coming to my place tonight, aren't you?" she asked.

"You'd better believe it. Shall I bring dinner?"

"No, I'll fix something. How does lasagne sound?"

"Perfect. What time?"

"Seven o'clock."

"I'll be there."

They got back on the elevator, Daniel getting off on the next level down. As he sat at his desk, he thought about how much he was looking forward to tonight. He knew that he and Sam were acting more like hormone-driven teenagers than adults in their forties. There was no mystery as to why _he_ was acting this way. Not only was this the first sex he'd had in a very, very long time, he was also having it with the woman he had come to realize was the love of his life. But what about Sam? She seemed to be craving it just as much as he was. As far as he knew, she hadn't had a relationship with a man since Pete, so it had been quite a while for her, too, but was there more to it than that? He really hoped so. He wanted to believe that Sam's desire for him meant that she was starting to fall in love with him.

At that moment, the subject of his thoughts was sitting at her worktable, thinking about the same thing. She couldn't believe how powerful her desire for Daniel was. Yes, there had been other guys she'd wanted, the most recent of which being Pete, but always in the past she had shown a bit more restraint when it came to sex. She and Pete dated for several weeks before she let him into her bed. She dated Jonas for almost two months before it happened, and throughout their relationship, he was way more focused on the sex than she was. Not that such a thing was unusual. Guys usually were a lot more focused on sex than women. Yet here she was, hardly able to wait until she could be with Daniel again. Was it because he made her feel so good inside? Was it because, when he made love to her, it felt like he was giving her every part of him? Jonas had been a rather selfish lover, more interested in his own pleasure than hers. Pete hadn't been that way, although, since they only slept together once, she had no way of knowing if that would have remained the same. Even so, that one time with Pete could not come close to comparing with what she'd experienced with Daniel, nor could any time with any other lover she'd ever had.

Regardless of the reason for this desire, she really liked how she was feeling. It felt good to have someone in her life with whom she couldn't wait to be . . . someone who felt the same way about her. And, judging by the comment he'd made about sleeping alone, she suspected that in no time at all she'd have a drawer of her stuff at Daniel's. Sam smiled at that thought, quite liking the idea.

At last turning her attention to her computer, Sam pushed from her mind thoughts of tonight and got back to work.

* * *

Upon hearing a knock on the door of his office, Cam told the person to enter. Vala came in and shut the door behind her. She then gazed at him for a moment.

"Cameron, could you come over here for a moment?"

"Why?"

"I'll explain when you get here."

Wondering what she was up to, Cam rose from his chair and walked up to her. As soon as he reached her, she yanked his lips down to hers. He jerked back, pulling away from her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked. "I told you—"

"Yes, I know, I know," the woman interrupted impatiently. "We're supposed to behave ourselves while on duty. But what harm can a little kiss do?"

"Well, for one thing, if the person monitoring the camera feeds saw us, he'd report it."

"Which is why I asked you to come over here. I've taken a look at the camera feeds, and I know that this part of the room is not covered." Vala took a step toward him. "I want you, Cameron. It has been five days, and I don't know how much longer I can wait."

Cam admitted that his own desire for Vala had been growing stronger with each passing day. Okay, so maybe there wouldn't be any harm in sharing a kiss.

"All right. I guess a kiss would be okay."

Smiling, Vala wasted no time pulling his mouth back down to hers. Though Cameron's intention was to keep the kiss light, that's not how it turned out. The second that Vala's tongue entered his mouth, his self-control went up in flames. Before he knew it, he had her pressed up against the door, one of her legs wrapped around his hips and one of his hands on her butt. When Vala's hand crept under his T-shirt, he realized that he had to put a stop to what they were doing. He took hold of her shoulders and gently pushed her away.

"That was way more than just a kiss," he said, just a wee bit out of breath.

"Sorry. I couldn't help myself." Vala's smile told him that she wasn't the least bit sorry.

Cam returned to his desk, figuring that the knowledge that he was now within view of the camera would help restore his determination not to let anything go on between them while on duty.

Vala came up to the desk and sat on the edge. "I have an excellent idea."

"What's that?"

"We could go off-base for lunch . . . at your apartment." She grinned. "You have a term for that, do you not? A nooner?"

An image of him and Vala having sex after a Big Mac and fries had Cam's temperature rising.

"I don't think that would be a good idea."

"Why not? We would not be on duty, and no one would have a reason to suspect anything."

Cam's determination started to waver. She did have a point. They would both be off-duty, in the privacy of his home, and, as long as they weren't gone too long, no one would have a reason to question the absence. He had tomorrow and Sunday off and had been intending to get Vala over to his place on one of those days, but, after the kiss they'd just shared, tomorrow felt like a long time from now.

Certain that Cam was going to say no, Vala was all set to do some more convincing. She was quite pleasantly surprised when, instead, he said, "Okay."

"Okay?" she repeated with a smile.

"Yeah."

They went to the locker rooms and changed into their civvies, then left the base. They stopped at the first fast food place they came to, which turned out to be a McDonald's. As he ordered a Big Mac and fries, Cam couldn't help but smile.

The Big Mac and fries ended up not getting eaten, at least not right away. The second they were in Cam's apartment, Vala was attacking his clothing, all but ripping it off. He made short work of her clothes, and the two of them stumbled to the bedroom. They fell onto the bed, Cam's mouth locked upon Vala's. She arched up against him.

"Now, Cameron," she moaned. "I want you now."

Realizing that she was already ready for him, Cam joined their bodies. He immediately launched into a fast tempo that had both of them crying out. In no time at all they were approaching the brink. They sailed over the edge together.

"Well, that didn't take long," Cam remarked after his breathing had slowed. He was now lying on his back, Vala in a similar position beside him. At his remark, she rolled onto her side and started playing with his chest hair.

"I could not wait to have you." She gave him a smile. "We will have plenty of time for foreplay tonight."

Cam looked at her. "Tonight? Vala, we can't get together tonight. This worked out all right, but you coming over to my place in the evening is too dangerous."

"We could say that I'm coming over to watch another game. We could even say that Daniel is going to be there as well. He will back us up."

Cam stared at her, frowning. "Why would he do that?"

Vala's gaze slid away to a spot on Cam's chest.

The pilot's frown deepened. "Vala? What aren't you telling me?"

"I kind of . . . told Daniel about us."

"You what?" Cameron bellowed. He sat up and glared down at her. "Why the hell did you do that?"

"I was talking to him about his relationship with Samantha, and he asked if I'd followed his advice about you. What I said made him realize that we'd slept together, and I confirmed it."

Cam's thoughts were sidetracked for a moment. "What advice about me?"

"He figured out that I was going after you and told me that if I was only doing it because I couldn't have him, I should to leave you alone."

That surprised Cameron. "He did?"

"I believe he was concerned for you."

Cam was happy to know that Daniel had been looking out for him. His thoughts then turned back to the fact that the archeologist knew about him and Vala. It was a sure bet that Sam now did as well. Great. The entire team now knew that he was doing the wild thing with a woman who was under his command.

"I'm sure it will be all right, Cameron," Vala said. "After all, Daniel and Samantha are having sex as well."

Cam focused another stare upon her. "And you know that because. . . ."

"Daniel admitted it to me after I found him smiling like a man who'd recently had mild-blowing sex. Based upon what he said, I'm guessing that he and Samantha really got it on."

Cam held up his hand. "Okay, stop right there. That is definitely TMI."

Vala's brow creased in confusion. "TMI?"

"Too much information. I don't want to know any more about what he and Sam are and are not doing with each other." He paused. "Although I'm guessing this means that their relationship is going to keep on going. That's good news. No transfer for Jackson to Atlantis."

Vala smiled brightly. "Yes, isn't it wonderful?" Her smiled turned sultry. "Speaking of wonderful," her hand glided down his body to a certain part of him, "I doubt that anyone would say anything if we took an extra long lunch break."

Vala's touch on that portion of his anatomy had Cam's respiration speeding back up. He really wished that he could do what Vala wanted and stay right there in bed for another hour or so. Unfortunately, they couldn't. He gently removed her hand from his body.

"I wish we could, but it wouldn't be wise. We have to be careful, Vala, at least until we're ready to tell Landry about us." His gaze sharpened. "Are you ready to do that?"

Vala thought about it. Once they revealed their relationship to the general, there would be the possibility that he'd take her off the team, and she really didn't want that. Was she willing to risk her position on SG-1 for what she had with Cameron? It was true that the sex was phenomenal. It was also true that he made her feel really good. What they had together was great. In fact, it was the most satisfying relationship she'd had with a man in a very long time. On the other hand, they'd only been together for five days, so what she was feeling now might change. Why risk her position on SG-1 for a relationship that could be over in a month?

"I don't think I am ready for that yet," Vala replied. She looked at her lover. "What about you?"

It was now Cam's turn to think about it and what he said to Teal'c. Unlike Vala, he was not in danger of losing his place on SG-1, but it definitely would not endear him to Landry and could cause some problems for him with the people in charge of the program. He had no idea how General O'Neill would react.

If he was in love with Vala, he'd be willing to go through anything to stay with her, but that was not the case. Yes, she did make him feel great, and the sex was pretty much the best he'd ever had, but what he felt for her was not the same as what he did for Amy back when they were in school. He had doubts that he'd ever feel that way about her.

"I'm not ready yet either," he answered.

Vala smiled. "Then we are in agreement."

"Yep, which means that we need to eat our lunch and get back to the base."

After getting dressed, they warmed up their food and sat on the couch to eat it.

Vala made a face when she took a bite of a french fry. "It does not taste as good."

"No, fries don't do so well in the microwave. But it's your fault that we didn't eat them when they were fresh."

"Yes, but sex with you is _way_ better than french fries, Cameron."

Cam let out a laugh. "Thanks. I'm so happy to hear that."

They were about halfway through their lunch when Cam looked at Vala and noticed a bit of ketchup on her face. For some reason, it made her look adorable, and he smiled.

"What?" she asked.

In reply, he reached out and brushed the ketchup off with his fingertips. Vala's hand came up, and their fingers touched. Their eyes caught, and Cam felt something stir in the region of his heart, something that made him want to pull her into his arms and do nothing more than kiss her for the next hour.

A little unsettled by the feeling, he pulled back. "You, um, had ketchup on your cheek." He wiped his fingers clean with his napkin and went back to eating.

"Oh," Vala responded. She looked down at her own food, confused about what just happened. What she'd just felt when their eyes met was not quite like anything she'd ever felt before, a feeling that made her wish that the two of them could go away somewhere and do nothing but make love and be with each other.

Dismissing the feeling, Vala resumed eating.

They left as soon as they were finished, Cameron hoping that no one would question the length of their lunch break.

Back at the base, he was heading for his office when he bumped into Sam.

"Oh, um . . . hi, Cam," the astrophysicist said, acting a little uncomfortable.

He stared at her for a moment. "Jackson told you, didn't he."

"Told me what?" Sam asked, trying to act like she really didn't know.

"Sam."

Upon hearing the tone of Cameron's voice, Sam sighed. "Yes, he told me."

"And I bet you think I'm crazy."

"Welllll . . . I am kind of wondering about it."

Cam nodded. "Come on. Let's go where we can talk."

They went to his office.

"It just really shocked me," Sam admitted. "I mean, you and Vala? I'd never have seen that one coming."

"You and me both, Sam."

"So, how did it happen?"

Cam told her pretty much the same thing he told Teal'c . . . minus the whining.

"If I had a brain in my head, I'd have ended it there," he said.

"But?"

"But, as much as it surprises me to admit it, she makes me feel good. Of course, she also drives me insane."

Sam smiled. "You're joining Daniel in that regard. He told me that he thought about murdering her quite often."

"Well, I haven't had thoughts of murder yet, but that may come in time." Cam shook his head. "She really isn't like any woman I've been with before. One moment, she's as frustrating as hell, and, the next. . . ."

"What?" Sam encouraged gently.

"There is a side to her that she hides most of the time. She isn't as tough as she pretends to be. I've seen it come out more than once, and . . . I like it."

Sam studied him closely. "Cam, are you falling in love with her?"

"No. Absolutely not. Yes, I care about her, and, yes, what we've had these past few days has been great, but it's nothing more than that." It was his turn to study Sam. "Speaking of love, I understand there have been some . . . developments between you and Jackson."

Sam covered her face. "Oh, God. Vala told you, didn't she. I just _knew_ she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut."

"Hey, it's okay, Sam. I doubt she's told anyone else. As for me, I think it's great. I'm delighted to know that this thing between you and Jackson is progressing so well. I know that it's making him happy," Cam paused, "and I would assume that it's making you happy, too."

A gentle smile came to Sam's lips. "Yes, it is. What we have together is so fantastic. If I'd had any clue that it could be this way between us, I'd have considered a relationship with him years ago."

Cam was tempted to ask Sam if she was in love with Daniel, but he decided against it.

"Well, I'm happy that you're happy."

"Thanks."

Sam returned to her lab. She remained there until five o'clock. It was very unusual for her to leave work so early, but she had lots to do before seven.

Sam spent quite a while at the grocery story, trying to decide what she was going to fix for dinner. She wasn't a great cook, but she wanted this dinner to be good – even though neither of them were going to be focused on the food.

Dinner was almost ready when the doorbell rang. Sam answered it with a smile, which was returned by the man standing on the porch. Daniel stepped inside and gave her a kiss.

"Mmm. Smells delicious," he said.

"Thanks. I hope it tastes as good as it smells."

Sam returned to the kitchen, Daniel following her.

"Can I help?" he asked.

"Sure. You can make the salad. All the fixings are in the fridge."

Daniel pulled everything out and got busy on the salad.

"Cam knows about us," Sam said after a while.

Daniel let out a sigh. "Vala?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"He's happy for us. I, um, sort of talked to him about the thing with Vala."

"Oh. What did he say about that?"

"I think he's falling for her."

That shocked Daniel. He stared at her. "You do?"

"Well, he denied it, but there was just something about the look on his face." Sam shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong. Actually, thinking about it, I hope that I am wrong."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I don't want to see him get hurt. I mean, this is Vala we're talking about. What hope is there that she could feel anything like that for him? She's probably just interested in the sex."

"I suppose you could be right about that, but Vala isn't as shallow as she seems to be on the surface. She's been through a lot, not the least of which was being made into a host, and I sometimes think that she acts the way she does as a form of protection."

"I guess you may be right about that." She gave Daniel a kiss. "Let's not talk about Cam and Vala anymore. Tonight is for us."

Dinner was delicious, and Daniel was sure to tell Sam that. They were busy rinsing off the dishes when he moved in behind her and began kissing the back of her neck, which got an instant reaction from her. The pitch of her breathing increased, her eyes fluttering closed. Very deliberately, he reached around her and shut off the water. He then turned her around to face him. In the next second, his mouth was on hers in a heated kiss.

Now hungry for something else, they just about devoured each other. Hands joined the impassioned search and soon made it past the barrier of clothing. The skirt of Sam's dress was bunched up around her waist, her body pressed back against the kitchen counter. Sam wrestled Daniel's shirt off, then set about divesting him of his pants. She got as far as unzipping his fly before he yanked down her panties and lifted her up on the counter. Seconds later, their bodies were united.

Their lovemaking was hot and wildly passionate, and it didn't take long for them to reach the peak. Afterwards, then clung to each other as their bodies gradually calmed. Feeling just a bit shaky in the legs, Daniel leaned forward against the counter.

"Wow," Sam breathed. "We keep making love like that, and, sooner or later, one of us is going to keel over."

"Yeah, but what a way to go."

Sam laughed and kissed him. "Come on. There is a bed that's waiting for us."

After taking turns in the bathroom, the lovers shed the rest of their clothes and got under the covers, going into each other's arms. They lay in silence for a while, just enjoying being there together.

"I've been thinking about Jack," Daniel finally said. "I think we should tell him that we're together before we tell Landry. It seems only right to do so."

Sam thought about that. "I guess you're right, especially since he already knows that we started dating. You haven't talked to him since that call you made to him?"

"No. Frankly, I'm surprised that he hasn't called me to find out how things are going."

"Well, maybe he figured that you'd call him when you were ready to give him an update."

Daniel nodded, figuring that she was right. "I'll call him tomorrow." He looked at her. "Speaking of tomorrow, you and I both have it and Sunday off, and I can't think of a better way to spend the weekend than together."

Sam grinned at him. "Neither can I."

They came together in a long kiss, thinking about how terrific this weekend was going to be.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

For the second morning in a row, Daniel awoke to the wonderful feeling of Sam lying in his arms. He very much wanted to do so _every_ morning.

"Good morning," Sam murmured against his chest.

He looked down at her, meeting her eyes. "How long have you been awake?"

"Maybe ten minutes."

"You should have woke me."

Sam scooted up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I liked where I was."

Daniel grinned. "I like where you are, too." He returned his lips to hers in a long, slow kiss. Then he laid his head back on the pillow, and the two of them just held each other for the next half hour as they made plans for their weekend together.

They were eating breakfast when Sam asked, "When are you going to call Jack?"

"I figured that this evening would be best."

"Are you nervous about telling him?"

"A little. It's only been a little over two weeks since you and Jack decided it wasn't going to work out, and. . . ."

"And we're already sleeping together."

"Yeah. Not that I intend to come right out and tell him that. But he does need to know that you and I are really a couple now, and if I don't tell him, Landry will."

"To be honest, I'm glad that you're the one who's going to call him. I'd feel really uncomfortable doing it, what with what went on between me and him. I sure was uncomfortable when he called me after he found out that I was going to go on a date with you."

"I can understand that. Almost anybody would be uncomfortable talking to an old boyfriend about a new relationship, although I guess that Jack wouldn't exactly qualify as a former boyfriend."

Sam nodded slightly, then fell silent. She resumed eating, but Daniel could tell that her attention was not on the food.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Oh, I was just thinking about how much things have changed in the past few weeks. Less than a month ago, I was all excited about my first date with Jack, dreaming of the wonderful new life I thought we were going to have together, and, now, here I am, in a steady relationship with you."

Daniel gave a nod. "Yes, it is pretty mind-blowing, if you really think about it." He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. "But I, for one, can't tell you how happy I am that it worked out that way."

Sam smiled at him. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I feel exactly the same way."

Overjoyed to hear her say that, Daniel gave her another kiss.

The lovers finished their breakfast, then took turns in the shower, Daniel going second. As the water poured down on him, he thought back to what Sam had said. They were wonderful words to hear, but there were other words that he longed for more. But he had to be patient. After all, it hadn't even been two weeks since their first date. Someday, those words would come. He had to believe that. He had to have faith that Sam would one day love him as much as he loved her.

* * *

It was after eleven a.m. when the knock came on Cameron's door. Truth be told, he was expecting it to be earlier.

"So, where did you tell everyone you were going?" he asked Vala as she stepped inside.

"Shopping, of course."

"Of course. So, are we going to wait until after lunch before getting to the sex or. . . ." His voice trailed off as Vala began unbuttoning his shirt. "I guess not."

Lunch came _after_ the sex. They were both starving and wolfed down the sandwiches. Afterwards, they went for a walk to a little park not far from Cam's apartment. They sat at an empty picnic table and watched the kids playing. Among the children was a little girl with long, straight black hair and dark eyes. She looked enough like Vala to be her daughter.

"Can I ask you something?" Cam said.

"Of course, although I don't promise that I'll answer."

"If Adria hadn't been the Orici. If she'd just been an ordinary kid, yours and Tomin's, what would you have done?"

Vala looked at him. "Are you asking if I would have stayed with Tomin so that we could raise our daughter together?"

"Yes, I guess I am."

Vala thought about it. "If there had been no Ori, if I had married Tomin for some other reason, I guess I would have tried to make a go of it with him, at least for the sake of our daughter."

"Even though you didn't love him."

"I may have eventually grown to love him. He was such a sweet, gentle man before the Ori changed him. He was far too good and kind a man for me."

Shocked at that statement, Cam stared at her. It was the first time that he'd ever heard Vala put herself down.

"When I was with him, I had to pretend to be things that I was not," she said. "If he'd had any clue about my history, he wouldn't have had anything to do with me."

Cam took her hand. "Hey. Don't say that. Okay, so it's true that you can be aggravating and infuriating at times, and, yes, your past isn't a shining example of lawfulness, but, well . . . I happen to think that you're pretty okay."

Vala turned her head and stared at him, her expression one of stunned amazement. "You do?"

"Yes, I do."

The brightest smile he'd ever seen on her face beamed across it. She leaned forward and kissed him.

Turning back to the kids, Vala wrapped her arm around Cam's and laid her head on his shoulder. She thought about what happened earlier that morning, the thing that led her to say that Tomin had been too good for her. She'd been heading for breakfast when she heard two women talking.

_"She's a slut and a criminal," said one, "I don't know why they let her on SG-1. She doesn't deserve it. I heard rumors that she tried to get Doctor Jackson in her bed, and he turned her down flat. I'm glad he did. He's way too good for her. Every man on this base is too good for her."_

Vala hadn't hung around to hear the rest. She quickly turned around and went back to her quarters. There, she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall. She tried not to let what that woman said bother her. She'd been insulted before, many times, but some things the woman said had struck home, hitting a tender spot that she didn't know she had.

For a while, Vala had considered not going over to Cam's house, thinking that maybe that woman was right. Maybe Cam _was_ too good for her. Minutes later, she decided that she wasn't going to let what that woman said spoil her weekend. Now, she was glad that she didn't. Cameron's statement had made her feel really good. Who cares what that woman thinks? What mattered was what Cameron and the rest of her teammates thought.

They left the park a few minutes later and walked to a mall, where Vala did some of the shopping that she'd told the people on base she was going to be doing. Cam went with her into every shop, even the women's clothing stores. When, however, she headed toward a lingerie shop, Cam drew the line refused to go in. He was, however, very interested in what was in the bag she was carrying when she came back out.

"You'll find out when we get back to your place," she told him with a sensual smile. That made Cam very eager to get home. Vala, however, insisted that they get some ice cream first. He countered that they could eat it on the walk back.

They did just that. By the time they reached his apartment, the ice cream was long gone.

With a little smile, Vala disappeared into the bathroom, telling Cameron to wait for her in the bedroom. Not knowing whether he should get undressed or not, he chose to remain clothed.

When, a few minutes later, Vala came out, Cam's breath halted in his lungs. She looked like something straight out of an R-rated version of a Victoria's Secret commercial. The shimmery black chemise was so sheer that it might as well not have been there, and the thigh-high stockings and garter belt had Cam thinking about slowly rolling the stockings down her legs as his lips followed their progress.

"Wow," he breathed.

Vala slowly approached him on four-inch stiletto heels. "Do you like it, Cameron?" she asked in a sexy purr.

"God, yes," he groaned.

She placed a hand on his right shoulder, then ever so slowly walked all the way around him, her hand traveling across his back and ending on the other shoulder.

"I have to say that I'm disappointed," she said in his ear.

"About what?"

"You are still wearing so many clothes."

Cam grinned and pulled her into his arms. "Well, we'll just have to take care of that, won't we," he responded before consuming her mouth with his.

* * *

Vala spent a total of five hours with Cam. He knew that it was longer than he should have allowed, but he'd had just too much fun to end it sooner.

"So, what are our plans for tomorrow?" she asked as she waited for a cab.

"_My_ plans are to get some things done around the house. I am in desperate need of clean clothes, and I haven't cleaned this place in longer than I care to think about."

"But I was so hoping that I could come over again."

"As great as that would be, Vala, you couldn't say that you were going shopping again."

"Well, no, of course not. I was going to say that I wanted to catch a movie playing at the theater." She smiled. "There's one playing that's three hours long. Add lunch to that, and they wouldn't be expecting me back for at least four hours."

Cam was so tempted to say yes, but he really did have to get that stuff done.

"Vala. . . ."

"Please? I'll help you do the laundry. I'll even vacuum the carpet, although you'll have to show me how."

Cam studied her closely, getting the distinct impression that Vala's plea to come over wasn't because she was eager for more sex.

"Vala, what's this about?" he asked.

She turned away. "Nothing."

"I don't believe you."

She picked up the TV remote and started toying with it. "It's just that, for all this time I have been here on Earth, I have rarely gotten a chance to have any fun off-base. In the beginning, they wouldn't let me set foot outside the SGC without supervision, and nobody was interested in going anywhere with me. Later, that changed somewhat, but. . . ." She turned back to him. "All this time I've spent with you this past week has been more fun than I have had in a long time. I have really enjoyed it, and I want it to continue. I never have anything to do on base, and I get so bored, especially now that I can no longer hang out in Daniel's office."

Cam realized that she did have a point about the SGC. She had never been given any duties, and, now that the Ori were history, she didn't even have the situation with them to occupy her time. It was no wonder that she was craving fun and excitement.

He came up to her. "Yeah, I can imagine that you are pretty bored there. I'm sorry that I didn't think about that before."

"Then you'll let me come over?" she asked hopefully.

Cam hesitated, then let out a sigh. "Yes, you can come over."

Vala grinned and threw her arms around his neck.

"But I really am going to do laundry and housework."

"Certainly. And I will help."

Just then, they heard a horn honking outside. Knowing it was the cab, Vala let go of Cam. She gave him a quick kiss and told him that she'd see him tomorrow.

As he watched her get into the taxi and drive away, Cameron had the feeling that it was going to take a whole lot longer to do his chores than what it normally would have.

* * *

Daniel and Sam lay curled up on the couch together. The TV was on, but the sound was muted. They were sharing with each other some stories from their childhood, having got on that subject after watching a movie about a family with nine children.

The day had been wonderful. They played games, listened to music, talked, and made love. Neither one of them could recall having a more enjoyable day, and they were both anticipating that tomorrow would be just as enjoyable.

Daniel looked over at the clock, surprised to see that it was going on seven. That would put the time in DC at almost nine.

"I guess I should call Jack before it gets too late," he said. He got his cell phone and dialed the number as he took a seat in a chair.

"Well, hello, Daniel," Jack greeted. "I've been waiting patiently for a call from you. So, how are things going? I heard about the request that Hank made a couple of days ago. Goats, chickens and pigs, not to mention a ton of food. You have no idea how glad I am that I won't be there when all those farm animals arrive."

"Yes, I wish that I wasn't going to be there either."

"Soooo . . . how are things going on other matters?"

"Well, actually, that's what I was calling you about."

"Oh? Good news or bad?"

"Good , really good, in fact."

"Really? Then you and Sam are. . . ."

"Together."

"_How_ together?"

"Um . . . very."

There was a long pause before Jack responded. "I see. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting that to happen so soon."

Daniel looked over at Sam.

"To be honest, Jack, neither was I. Things just sort of . . . worked out that way."

"And I bet there's quite a story behind it. Not that I'm gonna ask what it is. So, I should imagine that you're ecstatic about this."

"Yes, it's been fantastic."

"Well, I'm happy for you, Daniel. I know how much you wanted this. Now give the phone to Sam so that I can talk to her."

Daniel paused in surprise. "How did you know I was with her?"

"Lucky guess."

Daniel held the phone out to Sam. "He wants to talk to you."

Hesitating a moment, Sam took the phone.

"Um, hi," she said nervously.

"Hello, Sam. So, I understand that you and Daniel are very much a couple now."

"Yes, we are."

"Didn't take long."

Sam's cheeks began heating up. "Well, it just. . . ."

"Worked out that way," Jack finished.

"Yes, I guess you could say that."

Jack was silent for a moment. "Are you happy, Sam?"

"Yes. I couldn't be happier."

"Well, then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks."

"Now, switch to speakerphone so that I can talk to both of you."

Sam did ask asked.

"Well, kids," Jack said. "It turns out that I have a bit of news, too. I've sold my house, and it is now in escrow."

"Did General Paine buy it?" Sam asked.

"Yep. It's nice to know that it'll stay in the family, so to speak, although I never got as attached to this place as I did the one over there. And, on that note, I wanted to let you know that I've decided to move back to The Springs."

"That's great, Jack," Daniel said. "It'll be good to have you back here. So, what made you decide to pick Colorado over Minnesota?"

"Well, now that's a bit of a story. After I got back here, I was feeling a little lonesome and in the mood to chat with someone, so I . . . called Sara."

Taken completely by surprise, Daniel and Sam looked at each other.

"Yes, I know you're surprised," Jack said, correctly interpreting the moment of silence. "It was on impulse. I expected us to chat for a while, catch up a bit, then that would be it."

"But something more happened." Daniel guessed.

"Yeah. We got to talking about other things, stuff we hadn't talked about since Charlie died. It was a good conversation. Sara asked if I planned on visiting there any time soon, and I told her that I was thinking of moving back there. She seemed to be happy about it and said that she'd like us to get together someday and talk some more."

Daniel and Sam were both delighted by the news.

"Do you think that you might get back together with her?" the archeologist asked.

"We've just had one conversation, Daniel."

"Yes, but you made the final decision to move back here because of it."

"You got me there. Let's just say that I'm keeping my options open."

"When will you be coming back here?" Sam asked.

"Escrow will be closing in fifty-four days, so I'll want to get busy looking for a house before then, although I can stay with Hank until I get a place of my own. I'm thinking that I'll come over in around three or four weeks, spend a few days looking for something."

"Well, we'll look forward to seeing you."

"Same here. Now, I will bid you good night since I'm guessing that the two of you will be going to bed early."

Totally embarrassed by what they knew Jack was implying, the couple said good night.

"I'm glad that he might get back together with Sara," Sam said. "It makes me feel better about the fact that he and I didn't work out."

"Yeah." Daniel smiled. "So . . . about you and me going to bed early."

Sam smiled as well. "Now, why would we want to do that?"

"I have no clue," Daniel replied before taking Sam's mouth in a kiss.

* * *

When Vala arrived on Sunday, Cam had a load of laundry in the washer and was busy mopping the kitchen floor. She immediately asked what she could do to help. He pulled out the vacuum cleaner and gave her brief instructions on how to use it. As she started on the vacuuming, he returned to the mopping. He'd just finished the mopping when the buzzer on the washing machine went off. He quicky threw the clothes in the dryer, then got started on cleaning the bathroom. He was still in there when Vala finished the vacuuming.

"What would you like me to do next?" she asked.

"Well, I suppose that you could do the dusting. Just don't knock anything off the shelves."

A few minutes later, Cam got done with the bathroom and came out into the living room. He watched Vala as she dusted and couldn't help but think about how very domestic this felt, like a married couple sharing the household chores. Putting that thought out of his mind, he dumped out the dirty water in the bucket and put the mop and bucket away.

Duster in hand, Vala went into the bedroom. Her eyes immediately went to the bed, and she smiled, determined that they would be using it before the day was done.

When the dryer signaled that the clothes were done, Vala went into the laundry room with Cameron, insisting that she could help him fold his clothes. Though he would have preferred doing all himself, he gave in to her. They were about two-thirds of the way through the laundry when Vala spotted something that made her grin.

"Now, what do we have here?" she asked as she plucked it out of the pile of clothing. Cam groaned silently when he saw what she had. He'd totally forgotten that they were in there. He tried to snatch them away from her, but she jerked them out of his reach.

"Why, Cameron," she said, still grinning. "How very adorable."

The object of her interest was a pair of blue boxer shorts with little fighter jets on them.

"They were a gift from an old girlfriend. She thought they were cute. Now give them to me."

"No, no, no. I want to see you in them."

"Not on your life."

Cam tried to grab them, but Vala took a quick step backwards.

"Or maybe _I_ should wear them," she said teasingly, holding them against her hips.

"No way, Vala."

The pilot made another grab for the underwear, but Vala again avoided him. She danced away, and he went after her, chasing her out into the living room. He tackled her, and they fell to the floor, Vala letting out a little squeal. Cam finally managed to wrest the boxers away from her. She tried to get them back, but he kept them out of her reach. Their gazes met. Vala's eyes were sparkling with laughter, her dark hair fanned out on the floor, cheeks rosy with color. Yet again, Cam felt that stirring in the region of his heart, but, this time, he did not push the feeling away. Slowly, his lips descended to Vala's. The kiss was soft and slow, his arms going around her to hold her gently against his body. His mouth then went to her neck to place whisper soft kisses on her skin. Vala closed her eyes, loving the feeling.

At last, Cam's head lifted, and their eyes met again. Cam got up off the floor, pulling Vala up with him. He lifted her into his arms and took her to the bedroom, where they slowly removed each other's clothing.

For the first time since becoming a couple, Cam and Vala made love slowly and gently, taking the time to touch and caress each other everywhere. When their bodies united, the slow pace continued, accompanied by tender touches. A quiet gasp was the only sound they made as they climaxed together. As they came down from the heights, they continued holding each other.

Vala gazed at Cam in amazement, shocked by the feeling washing through her, a sense of fulfillment that she'd never before experienced after having sex. She wanted to stay like this in his arms forever. That feeling scared her.

"Well, that was certainly a pleasant break from the housework," she said, trying to sound casual.

Cam blinked. "Um . . . yeah." He separated from her and sat up, refusing to think anymore about how that lovemaking had made him feel. He got off the bed and got dressed as Vala did the same.

The rest of the clothes were folded and hung up without further incident.

Feeling the need to be out of Vala's presence, Cameron said, "I need to run some errands. You should probably go back to the SGC."

Though it hadn't been anywhere near four hours, Vala nodded.

On the way to the base, Vala suddenly changed her mind and told the taxi driver to take her to the nearest park.

As she sat on a park bench, Vala's gaze fell upon a family having a picnic. The father had dark brown hair, the mother's long and black. The two children, who looked just like their parents, were laughing and playing as their parents looked on.

All at once, Vala began seeing herself as the mother and Cameron in place of the father, the two of them smiling fondly at their kids. After just a few seconds, she jerked away from the image, more than a little surprised that such a thing would enter her mind. Have children with Cameron? What a ridiculous thought. That was for people who were planning to spend the rest of their lives together, for people in love, and that was most certainly not what she and Cameron were. They were just two consenting adults in a mutually satisfying sexual relationship. No ties, no strings attached. And they _certainly_ weren't in love.

Vala left the park and walked to a nearby shopping center. As she wandered, she looked at the men she passed, imagining what kind of lovers they might be. The problem was that she kept comparing them to Cameron. That irritated her, and she decided to leave. She called for another cab and had it take her to the base. In her quarters, she turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until she found a silly comedy. She focused her attention on the movie, putting all thoughts of Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron Mitchell out of her mind.

* * *

Daniel looked about the gate room. He was afraid to move for fear that he'd step in something. The place looked like a petting zoo, except that most of the keepers were in military uniform.

Sam wound her way though the livestock, people and crates and came to a stop beside Daniel.

"And here I thought it was bad when the Hak'tyl were staying here," she commented.

"Yeah. At least all this stuff isn't going to be here for that long." He suddenly yelped in surprise and jumped away. He spun around and glared at the goat that had just nibbled at the seat of his pants. "Shoo! Go away!" he said as he pushed the animal away from him.

"What's the matter, Daniel?" Sam asked teasingly. "It looks like she likes you."

"The feeling is not mutual."

Cam, Teal'c and Vala made their way up to their teammates.

"Where's Landry?" the pilot asked.

Daniel answered. "He escaped to his office a few minutes ago in order to preserve his sanity. If the Stargate isn't dialed soon, I'll be joining him."

To everyone's relief, the gate began dialing up. To everyone's dismay, when it activated, it spooked most of the animals, who bolted. Because the blast doors were closed, they couldn't escape the room and began dashing about, evading the people trying to catch them. It took a good ten minutes to regain control.

The FREDs carrying the crates of food and chickens were sent through first, then the goats and pigs were herded through, though that proved to be quite difficult since the animals were afraid of the event horizon.

On the other side, Nitiren and the other council members stood waiting, along with several other townspeople. They stared at the animals, never having seen goats, pigs and chickens before. All five members of SG-1 came up to them.

"Will what you have there be enough for the raiders?" the Chief Councilor asked.

"That isn't everything," Cam replied. "We don't have enough FREDs to carry all the food, so, after we transfer everything to your carts, they will be sent back through and loaded with the rest of the stuff."

The FREDs were quickly relieved of their burdens, then sent back to the SGC for the remainder of the crates.

Cam looked at the position of the sun. "We'll need to get a move-on as soon as the rest of the stuff comes through. The raiders are probably getting impatient."

An hour later, the trip to the meeting place began. Along with Nitiren and two of his fellow councillors were a dozen other people from the town, some of whom were driving the carts. It took another hour to reach the small clearing, partly due to the difficulty of herding the pigs. When all the townspeople saw the raiders, they stopped, nervous about continuing forward.

"Come on," Cam said to the three council members. "Let's go introduce you."

SG-1 and the three councillors continued forward, halting before the raiders. Cam introduced Daniel and Sam to Marnan, then did likewise with the three people from the town council.

Marnan looked over at the livestock and carts full of food. "You have kept your side of the bargain. That is good."

"Yes, we have," Cameron said. "There are enough animals to allow you to slaughter some and use the rest for breeding stock. Eventually, you'll have some good size herds of your own."

"We came up with an idea that I'd like to discuss with all of you," Daniel said, addressing both the raiders and the councillors. He focused his attention on the raiders. "The problem you're having is the lack of enough rainfall to keep crops alive. We know of ways that you can catch and store the rain that you do get, then use it to irrigate crops. That will help you a little. But there is also something else that can be done. How far away is the nearest large source of water from where you live?"

"There is a river more than a day's walk from our home."

Daniel nodded, knowing that such a distance could easily be spanned with an aqueduct.

"Nitiren and his people have built an aqueduct, which diverts water from the nearby river to their town and fields. If you had the same thing, you could bring water right to your fields."

Marnan frowned. "We do not know how to build an . . . aqueduct. Are you proposing to teach us?"

"Actually, my idea was that the townspeople would teach you."

The councillor named Davan scowled. "These men steal our crops and livestock, leaving us barely enough to feed our families. They beat and humiliate all those who rightfully seek to protect our property from them. And, now, you want us to be their teachers?" He spat on the ground. "Let them learn for themselves. I will not share knowledge with the likes of them."

Rage filling his face, Marnan drew his sword, followed by all the other raiders. This resulted in the people from the SGC aiming their weapons at the raiders.

"Oh, crap," Daniel muttered, seeing a meltdown fast approaching.


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The archeologist quickly stepped forward, holding his empty hands in the air.

"Whoa! Everybody just calm down."

"This man has insulted us!" Marnan growled.

"Yes, he did, but you have to look at things from his perspective. After all, you haven't exactly been very nice to the townspeople. It's understandable that they'd have hard feelings. So how about if everyone just lowers their weapons and we try to discuss this calmly and rationally? The last thing any of us want is a blood bath."

A very long, intense moment passed before the raiders lowered their swords. The SGC personnel did likewise, though they kept watching the raiders warily.

"Okay. Good," Daniel said, breathing a silent sigh of relief. "Now, Marnan, why don't you tell Nitiren, Davan and Renar how many children this food will be feeding."

The leader of the raiders paused before replying. "There are more than a hundred. Even now, their empty bellies are waiting for the food to fill them."

Daniel gave a nod, then turned to the three councilmen. "If you were in their position, wouldn't you do whatever it took to feed your families?"

It was Nitiren who replied. "Yes, but our last resort would be to steal from the mouths of other children. Why did they not come to us and ask for aid?"

"We _did_ ask!" Marnan responded in an angry voice. "Three generations ago, our great-grandfathers came to you. They humbled themselves and begged for help. But, instead of help, they were given sneers and commanded to leave. They were told that our people were not worthy of receiving aid. That winter, fifteen of our children died of starvation."

The revelation stunned everyone.

"T-this cannot be true!" Nitiren cried. "Our great-grandfathers would not have said such a thing!"

"It _is_ true," Marnan declared. "It is because of their words that we began raiding your fields of the food that we so desperately needed."

There was a pregnant pause before Daniel spoke up again. "It's pretty obvious that there are things some of you don't know about this whole situation." He turned to the three councillors. "Given what you just found out, can you understand more why these people raid your town and fields? If you were in the same position, wouldn't you do the same thing?"

Nitiren hesitated before replying. "I do not know if we would do the same thing, but I understand why they chose to do so."

Daniel focused his gaze upon the leader of the raiders. "Marnan, the people who refused to help you are long dead. Do you think it's fair to punish generations that had nothing to do with what happened back then?"

Marnan frowned. "What else are we to do? Our families must be fed."

"Yes, I understand that, and that's why I was proposing that you be taught things that will permanently solve your problem. Now, it would take quite a while to build the aqueduct. In the meantime, you would have to continue getting crops from the townspeople, but the things we will be teaching and giving to them should increase the size of the next harvest." Daniel's gaze went back and forth between the two parties. "We have a way to resolve this whole issue, ultimately put an end the problem. Wouldn't it be in everyone's best interest to see that happen?"

There was a long moment of silence before Nitiren replied. "Yes. We will teach these men and their people how to build an aqueduct, if they are willing to learn."

Marnan stared at the man, then nodded. "We will accept their knowledge."

Everyone from Earth relaxed.

"Great!" Cam said. "So how about if we get all this stuff transferred to those carts over there."

The food and chickens were taken out of the townspeople's carts and stacked in the ones belonging to the raiders. While that was going on, Cam educated Marnan on caring for the goats, pigs and chickens and how to cook some of the food.

"Now, you'll want to build some kind of coop for the chickens," he said. "Otherwise, they'll all get eaten by birds of prey and other carnivores in the area." He gave the leader of the rebels some instructions on that.

While he was doing all that, Daniel was showing another member of the raiding party printouts of instructions on building rain collectors. Though the man could not read the words, the illustrations and Daniel's instructions would be enough.

It was well after midday by the time everything was finished, and Daniel suggested that they all share a meal and get to know each other better. Though both the raiders and townspeople were hesitant to do so, they reluctantly agreed.

Due in part to Daniel and Cam's encouragement, most of the conversation that followed was between the raiders and the people from town. Gradually, the tension and mistrust faded, and the two groups learned quite a bit about each other. There were even a few smiles. All the members of SG-1 were happy to see that.

"We must go so that we can reach the next place where we can camp before night falls," Marnan said at last. He looked at Nitiren. "If it is acceptable to you, some of us will return in one month so that you may show us your aqueduct and teach us how to make one."

Nitiren nodded. "That will be acceptable."

With an impressive amount of skill and orderliness, the raiders moved out, the livestock obediently going the way the men wanted them to go. They soon disappeared into the forest. Everyone else then headed back to town.

"Well, after that bit of excitement, everything went pretty well," Cam remarked once they were back in town.

Sam nodded in agreement. "I think that this is going to work out well, just as long as nobody loses their temper again. So, are we ready to go home?"

"We need to talk to Nitiren about when we'll be bringing through the stuff that is part of the trade agreement and when we can start mining for the Wani," Daniel replied. "And I've also got a little . . . errand to run."

The others looked at him.

"An errand?" Vala questioned. "That sounds interesting. May I go with you?"

"No, you may not. You guys go on and talk to Nitiren. I'll join you in a little while."

The archeologist headed to the marketplace, glancing back several times to make sure that Vala wasn't following him. When he got to the stand he visited before, he was happy to see that the item he wanted was still there. He showed the merchant what he'd brought. The man immediately took a liking to it and agreed to the trade.

With his purchase hidden away in a pocket, Daniel joined his teammates, who were just finishing up with Nitiren. A few minutes later, they joined the rest of the people from the SGC, and everyone gated home.

At the debriefing, the general was filled in on everything that happened.

"All in all, I think it went well," Cam said. "As long as there isn't another blowup, the raiders will have what they need, and, eventually, they won't have to get food from that town nor any other."

"I'm hoping that, in time, the two groups will have an amicable relationship," Daniel said.

Landry nodded. "Well done, SG-1. We've gotten started in getting together everything that's in the trade agreement. I don't think it will be necessary for you to accompany it to Hedavin. I'll be sending some people through with knowledge of farming, as well as medical people to train the Hedavi on the use of the medicines and medical equipment. SG-9 will go with them."

After everyone was dismissed, Daniel and Sam went to his office.

"When are we going to talk to Landry about us?" the archeologist asked.

"Maybe it would be wise to do it today, while he's still in a good mood about the success of the mission."

Daniel nodded. "I think you're right. Are we going to just come right out and say it or ease him into it?"

"I'd say that the direct approach would be best. General Landry doesn't care for long explanation."

Daniel recalled all the times the man interrupted his long-winded explanations during briefings and agreed with her.

Fifteen minutes later, Daniel and Sam were nervously standing outside the general's office. Landry bid them to enter.

"Um . . . sir?" Sam said, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. "Daniel and I have something to discuss with you."

"Oh? Is this about the stuff on Hedavin?"

"No, it's a personal matter. You see, Daniel and I, uh . . . things have, um . . . developed . . . between us."

Landry frowned at her. "I know that you couldn't be saying what it sounds like you are saying, so explain what it is that you really mean."

"Actually, she does mean what it sounds like she's saying," Daniel responded. "That is if you're thinking what I think you're thinking."

The general blinked and stared at them. "You're saying that you two are involved with each other?"

"Yes, sir," the couple confirmed simultaneously.

"What the hell brought _that_ on?" Landry asked in a tone of voice that told Daniel and Sam he was not at all pleased.

"Well, you see, I've had, uh, feelings for Sam for quite a while now," Daniel replied, "but she didn't know. When she found out, she agreed to go on a date with me. Things, um, developed from there."

Landry's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying that this relationship has been going on for a while?"

"Not all that long, sir," Sam told him. "We started dating two weeks ago."

"Well, I don't have to tell you that I'm not all that happy to hear this. Relationships between teammates can lead to all sorts of problems. It wasn't all that long ago that I had to have a talk with a couple of members of another SG team about this very thing."

Sam nodded. "Captain Hopkins and Doctor Waterston. We know about them, sir."

"Well, then I'm going to tell you the same thing I told them. I'll let it go on for now, but if I get an inkling of the slightest problem, the tiniest way that this affects your performance on missions, one of you will be removed from SG-1. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," Daniel and Sam responded.

"I assume that Colonel Mitchell already knows about this."

"Yes, and so does Vala and Teal'c," Daniel answered. "Jack does, too."

"Very well. Now get out of here so that I can take something for this headache you just gave me."

With looks of apology, the couple left and returned to Daniel's office.

"Well, considering how it could have gone, that wasn't so bad," Daniel remarked.

"Yeah. At least we no longer have to hide our relationship."

"Uh huh. Um, regarding that, I was wondering if you could come over to my place this evening."

A smile grew on Sam's face. "Don't want to sleep alone tonight, Daniel?"

He smiled as well. "Of course I don't, now that I know how it feels to have you in that bed with me. But this is about something else."

Sam's smile disappeared. "Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem. You'll know what it's about when you get there."

"Okay. Do you want me to come before dinner or after?"

"Before would be good. I'll fix some dinner for us."

Sam arrived at a bit before seven o'clock. Though she was dying of curiosity about the reason for the invitation, she patiently waited for Daniel to tell her. That came after the meal was over. Daniel went to his bedroom and returned with a tiny box in his hand.

"I, um, got this on Hedavin." He handed the box to her.

Upon opening the box, Sam let out a sharp gasp. There in the box was a pendant. The translucent stone was blue and pink, the colors swirled together. And it was glowing, as if lit from within.

"It's a type of crystal that sometimes forms alongside the Wani," Daniel quietly explained. "On rare occasions, the Hedavi will find a piece that has some of the Wani encased within it. Most of those pieces are used for jewelry that's worn during certain religious ceremonies. I, um, thought that you might like it."

"Oh, Daniel. It's beautiful. I love it!" She pulled him into a hug and kiss. "It's such a shame I can't wear it in public."

"Well, you could. You could say that the crystal isn't real, and the glow is from a tiny lightbulb inside."

"I'm not sure I'd want to risk that, but I will definitely wear it every time we're alone together. Thank you so much for getting it for me." Sam then frowned. "But how did you pay for it?"

"I traded something."

"What?"

"One of the artifacts that Catherine willed to me."

"Oh, Daniel. You shouldn't have done that. I know that those things mean a lot to you."

Daniel looked straight into her eyes. "Sam, you mean so much more to me than anything I own. I'd give away the whole collection for you."

Sam pulled him into her arms again, whispering another thank-you in his ear.

That night, the couple did not make love. Instead, they just held each other. Feeling warm and loved in Daniel's arms, Sam knew that there was not another place in the entire universe she'd rather be.

* * *

A relatively uneventful week passed before SG-1's next mission. Unlike the one to Hedavin, this one was to a planet with a relatively high level of technology. Vala had been there before and said that there might be some things that the SGC would be interested in obtaining.

Arriving on the planet, everyone looked at the former host of Qetesh.

"Okay, you're the one who's been here before," Cam said. "Where shall we go?"

"There are some shops that deal in electronic gadgets. I've had dealings with a few of them. It might be best if we avoided one or two of those. My relationship with the shopkeepers was not exactly . . . friendly."

"Yeah, I'll bet," Daniel muttered.

"Now, Daniel. It was not entirely my fault. We just did not see eye-to-eye on some things."

With Vala in the lead, SG-1 began going from shop to shop. They'd brought with them some stuff to use in trade, but Sam figured that it might not be enough if they found something really valuable. They found such a thing after being on the planet for two hours. Unfortunately, the owner of the device was being rather unreasonable and insisting on a payment that was ridiculously high.

"Now, Deken," Vala said in a low, silky tone, drawing closer to the man. "Surely, we can come to an agreement."

As Deken Sawl raked his eyes over Vala's body, a lustful expression on his face, Cam was struck by a violent feeling of jealously. He had to fight back the urge to yank Vala away from the man. Instead, he remained where he was, hands clenched into fists. He almost lost it, though, when Deken ran a hand down Vala's arm.

"Yes, maybe we can," the shopkeeper said, his expression making no secret of what he wanted.

Cam took a step forward. "Okay, now that isn't going to be any part of the trade we make with you, so you can get it out of your head."

Deken glared at him. "Are you her husband?"

"Well, no, but—"

"Then you have no say in it."

Cam was just about to tell the guy off when Vala stepped in.

"As much as I would love to spend some quality time with you, Deken, I'm afraid that I am not free to include myself in the bargain." She was, of course, lying about wanting to spend time with him. The guy looked like an ape with a face that had been smashed in a few too many times. "But, surely, we can come to some agreement."

Deken scowled at her. "My price stands."

"Then it's no deal," Cam stated. "Come on. Let's go." He took hold of Vala's arm and led her outside, followed by the rest of the team.

"That's too bad," Sam said. "We could really use something like. And it should have been possible to backwards engineer it."

"I'm sure I could have talked him into lowering his price, if given the time," Vala said.

"No way," Cam responded. "I don't like the way that guy was looking at you."

The dark-haired woman smiled. "Why, Cameron. Are you jealous?"

"This isn't about me, Vala. It's obvious that Deken wouldn't have been satisfied with just talking, and there is no way in hell that I'd allow _any_ team member to use themselves in that way to obtain something on a mission. Beside, we might find another one of those things somewhere else."

That proved not to be the case, though they did get some other items that Sam thought would be of value.

As they headed back to the Stargate, Vala was frowning. She knew that Sam was disappointed that they hadn't succeeded in finding one of the things Deken had. If Vala had been by herself, she was sure that she could have sweet-talked the man into lowering his price. She'd done so on plenty of other occasions, although some of those occasions had required more than just talking. She would definitely not have gone that far this time. The thought of having sex with Deken turned her stomach.

"Perhaps we could look a little longer," she said. "There is still a large part of the city that we haven't covered."

"We're due back in a couple of hours," Daniel said.

"We could always ask for some more time. How about if we get something to eat, then ask General Landry if we can stay longer?"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," Cam said after thinking about it for a few seconds.

The team found a cafe and ate some lunch. Afterwards, Vala excused herself and headed for the restroom in the back. After using the facilities, she came out and nearly bumped into someone.

"Well, hello, hello," Deken said, looking at Vala in a very unsettling way. "What a coincidence."

"Yes, isn't it," Vala agreed, backing up a step. He reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Now, don't run away," the big man said. "I'm thinking that, now that we're alone, we can come to an agreement of our own."

Suddenly realizing that Cam was right about Deken, Vala forced a pleasant expression onto her face while trying to extract her arm from the man's grasp. "I'm sorry, but I must decline. I have come to the conclusion that any agreement between us would be unacceptable . . . to me."

Deken smiled evilly. "Yes, but not to me."

Before Vala could reacted, the man grabbed her, putting a hand over her mouth, and dragged her out the back door. Vala attempted to fight him, but he was far stronger than her and apparently had training in hand-to-hand combat. He violently threw her up against a wall, and Vala's head impacted against the bricks, stunning her. Feeling dizzy, she tried to fight Deken off as he tore at her clothing. When she drew in a breath to scream, he clamped his hand back over her mouth and pressed her body against the wall with his.

As Vala heard and felt the clothing of her pants tear open, she screamed in her mind for help.

* * *

Cam looked at his watch. "What's taking her so long?"

Sam got to her feet. "I'll check on her."

"No, I'll do it."

Cam went to the unisex bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Come on, Vala. Let's go." When he got no reply, he took a peek inside and saw that it was empty. "Where did she go?"

Just then, he heard something outside, what sounded like a muffled scream. He opened the back door and looked out into the alley. He was stunned by what he saw. Vala, her clothes half ripped off, was on the ground, Deken on top of her. Even as the pilot watched, the man started yanking down what was left of her BDU pants.

White-hot, murderous rage filled Cameron. He launched himself at the man, throwing Deken off of Vala. Before the shopkeeper could react, Cam's fists were swinging at his face. Though the shopkeeper had seventy pounds and three inches on the pilot, it wasn't enough, Cam's blinding rage giving him added strength. Using the things he'd learned from both the Air Force and Jolan of the Sodan, Cam proceeded to beat the man to a bloody pulp.

Vala roused from her concussion enough to see what was happening. She saw Cam get a hold on Deken's neck in a viselike grip and start squeezing.

"Cameron, stop!" she cried. "You'll kill him!"

Her voice penetrated through the red haze of Cam's anger, and he looked at her. Then he heard the sound of Deken choking and gasping for air.

Finally coming to his senses, Cameron released the man. He scrambled over to Vala and pulled her into his arms.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously. "Did he hurt you?" When he discovered that her head was bleeding, he got a little scared.

Just then, the other three members of SG-1 burst into the alley. They took one look at the sight before them and figured out what happened. As Daniel and Sam rushed to Cam and Vala's side, Teal'c aimed his weapon at Deken, who had been attempting to get up.

"You will remain where you are," the Jaffa ordered, giving the man a look that said he'd quite happily blow a hole right through the shopkeeper.

"Is she okay?" Daniel asked Cam.

"She's hurt."

"No, I'm all right," Vala declared a little shakily. "I just bumped my head. I will be fine." She tried to extract herself from Cam's arms, but a wave of dizziness made her sway.

"You stay right there," the pilot commanded. He looked up at Sam and Daniel. "One of you go get the police or whatever it is that they have here."

Sam ran back into the cafe and talked to the owner. He made a call on that planet's equivalent of a telephone.

Two members of the city's law enforcement arrived ten minutes later and began questioning everyone. Vala and Cam told them what happened. The former host of Qetesh had fully recovered from her fright and was able to remain calm as she talked about the attempted rape. The things she said, however, made Cameron's own control on his emotions begin to slip. He wanted to rip Deken's throat out.

"We have suspected Deken Sawl of raping other women," one of the police officers said, "but we never had any proof. He left most of them in a coma or dead."

The news chilled everyone. If Cam hadn't arrived when he did, Vala might have been killed.

The cops asked if they could take some photos of Vala for evidence. Though she really didn't want to, the woman agreed.

"Will you need us for the legal proceedings?" Daniel asked afterwards.

"No, we recorded the statements. They and the photos will be enough."

Happy to hear that they wouldn't need to be present for a trial, the members of SG-1 watched as Deken was hauled away.

Cam gently helped Vala to her feet, never letting go of her.

"We need to get her back to the base," he said. "I think she has a concussion."

"But my clothes," Vala said in protest. "I can't walk though town looking like this."

"To hell with your clothes, Vala. You need medical treatment."

Understanding why Vala wouldn't want to be in public with her clothing half ripped off, Sam said that she'd find out where the nearest clothing store was. She came back a while later with a pair of pants and shirt for Vala. She helped the woman into the bathroom to change.

As Vala changed out if her torn clothing, Sam studied her.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked.

"Of course. I am fine. I have certainly gone through more terrifying experiences than this."

Noticing that the woman wasn't meeting her eyes, Sam said nothing more.

Figuring that Vala might not be up to walking the whole distance to the Stargate, Daniel hailed what he believed was a cab, which took them to the edge of town. They'd have to walk the rest of the way since there was no road going to the gate.

By the time they made it half the distance, Vala was feeling pretty shaky and woozy. Ignoring her protests, Cam lifted her into his arms and carried her the rest of the way.

Landry called for a medical team as soon as he saw that Vala appeared to be injured. A few minutes later, the whole team was in the infirmary.

"She'll be fine," Doctor Lam announced a while later. "She has a mild concussion and will have to rest for a day or two, but there's no skull fracture, and the laceration in her scalp needed just a couple of stitches."

Everyone relaxed.

"You will have to do the debriefing without her, though. I don't want her leaving that bed for a few hours."

General Landry was appalled when he found out what happened.

"This Deken Sawl is going to be prosecuted?" he asked.

"That's what it sounds like," Daniel replied. "He may be guilty of other assaults on women, as well as murder."

"Well, I'm just relieved that Colonel Mitchell arrived in time." The general gestured at the pilot's hands, which were wrapped in gauze. "How are the hands?"

"A little sore, sir, but they'll heal. No broken bones."

"All right, you're all dismissed."

Cam immediately returned to the infirmary. When he got there, however, he found that Vala was asleep. He quietly approached the bed and gazed down at her as a feeling of tenderness welled inside of him. Gently, he brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen down over her face. He thought about what might have happened and what _would_ have happened if he hadn't gotten to her in time, and it made his anger return.

Cam left the infirmary and went to his office, where he started to pace. The pacing had been going on for around fifteen minutes when Teal'c came in.

"You are angry," the Jaffa observed.

"You bet I am. That guy almost raped her and might have killed her."

"I saw the injuries you inflicted upon him. They were quite extensive."

Cam stopped pacing. "I couldn't stop myself. I saw him with his hands on her, lying on top of her, and I-I just lost it. I wanted to kill him. I really think that, if Vala hadn't stopped me, I would have. I have _never_ lost my head like that before."

Silently, Teal'c studied the pilot for several seconds. At last, he said, "I am aware that you have read all of the reports pertaining to the missions SG-1 embarked upon before you became a member. Do you recall the one regarding Shan'auc of the Red Hills?"

"Um, yeah. She was a Jaffa high priestess who thought that she'd managed to convert her Goa'uld larva into a Tok'ra. It turned out that she was wrong. He'd tricked her into believing that so that he could infiltrate the Tok'ra. After he was put in a host, he killed her." Cam didn't add something else he knew, that Teal'c had been in love with her. As it turned out, there was no need for him to say it.

"My love for Shan'auc was great," the Jaffa said, "and when she was murdered, my desire for revenge knew no bounds. It was like a fire in my mind, burning away all reason. The need to avenge her drove me to commit acts that wisdom would have stopped me from doing on any other occasion."

Cameron frowned. "Okay, but what does that have to do with me? I'm not in love with Vala."

Teal'c's deep, dark eyes stared long and hard into Cam's. "Are you not?" he then said before turning around and walking away.

Cam stared at the empty doorway. He then took a seat, his gaze drifting away to a blank section of wall. He got to thinking about this time he'd been with Vala, how good she made him feel. He thought about the jealousy he experienced when she turned her feminine charms on Deken. And then he thought about the pure rage that suffused him when he saw the man trying to rape her, the things that went through his mind afterwards as he held her.

_'Oh my God. I __**am**__ in love with her. I have actually fallen in love with Vala.'_

Cam realized that he'd been blind not to see it before now. He should have known long before now that some of the things he was feeling were a lot more than just sexual desire. The truth was that he hadn't wanted to see it. Falling in love with Vala Mal Doran could lead to a lot of heartache. How was he going to feel if she decided to end their relationship?

Damn. This really wasn't good. Why did he have to go and fall for her? He couldn't let Vala know. If she found out, she'd probably get uncomfortable and decide that it would be best to call it quits, and the thought of losing what he had with her really hurt, a whole lot more than he'd ever have thought it could.

Wondering how he was going to hide his feelings from Vala the next time he saw her, Cameron got to work on his mission report.


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Two hours had passed before Cam gathered the courage to go see Vala. In those two hours, she had awakened, had been visited by Daniel and Sam, and had started wondering where Cameron was. Figuring that Vala would prefer some privacy, Doctor Lam had moved her into a private room. She was sitting up in bed, flipping through TV channels when Cam came in.

"Hey there," he said in a falsely cheerful voice. "How are you feeling?"

"I am fine, although it is amazing that there can be so many television channels, yet nothing of interest to watch."

Cam smiled. "Yep. That's a complaint that pretty much everyone with cable or satellite TV has had at one time or another." As she muted the sound on the TV, he sat in the chair beside the bed. What he really wanted to do was sit on the bed and pull Vala into his arms, but he decided that it would be best to keep his distance.

"I understand from Carolyn that she'll be letting you out of here in the morning," he remarked.

"I do not understand why I cannot leave now. After all, it's not as if I would be leaving the base."

"She's just being cautious, Vala. That was a nasty bump on the head that you got."

The dark-haired woman waved her hand dismissively. "I have had far worse injuries. It was nothing." She put on a smile. "But I do want to thank you for coming to my rescue. Not that I couldn't have handled him on my own if he hadn't given me a concussion."

There was something off about the tone of Vala's voice, something that made Cam study her closely. Her eyes immediately left his, and she resumed flipping though the television channels, though she kept the sound muted.

"Vala, are you sure you're all right?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, of course I am sure. Like I said, I have been injured far more seriously than this."

"I'm not talking about the concussion, Vala."

The dark-haired woman paused ever so slightly before saying, "Oh, that. Yes, I am all right. It's just another experience to add to my very colorful and adventurous life."

Cam did not fail to notice that Vala's body appeared to be a little tense and that her voice had sounded way too casual. There was also the fact that she was still not looking him in the eyes.

"Vala, you were nearly raped. Stop pretending like it isn't bothering you." When she didn't say anything, he laid a gentle hand on her arm. "Talk to me, Vala," he requested softly.

Vala turned her face completely away, but not before Cam saw twin tears escape from her eyes. Seeing those tears, Cam rose out of the chair, sat on the bed, and pulled her into his embrace. As she silently cried, Cam cradled her in his arms, his cheek resting on her hair. A tight lump formed in his throat, his heart aching for her.

After a couple of minutes, Vala pulled away from Cam, wiping the wetness from her face.

"I feel so silly for blubbering all over you like that," she said, trying to regain control of her emotions. "I do not know why this is bothering me. After all, it's not like it was the first time." Suddenly realizing what she had just revealed, she bit her lip.

Cam had gone very still. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. I didn't mean anything."

"Vala, don't lie to me." He took her shoulders and turned her to face him as she desperately avoided his eyes. "You've almost been raped before?" When Vala yet again refused to say anything, a terrible feeling began to grow in the pit of Cam's stomach. "Vala, have you been raped?" He cupped her cheek. "Please tell me."

It was in a low voice that she finally replied. "In . . . in a manner of speaking. Not long after Qetesh took me as her host, she became Ba'al's lover. The first time that they. . . ." Vala began plucking at a loose thread on the blanket. "Before then, I had never been with a man, and it . . . hurt. Qetesh enjoyed the pain, and she wanted me to feel it, so she did not do anything to stop it. I kept crying out in my mind, begging her to stop, but, instead, she told Ba'al to . . . get rougher. He apparently liked it rough, so he was eager to comply."

_'Oh, God,'_ Cam whispered in his mind, feeling physically ill. He began to wish that Qetesh was still alive so that he could kill her with his own hands.

Vala resumed speaking. "Every time afterwards, Qetesh encouraged Ba'al to get progressively rougher, rough enough that it caused bruises and . . . and other damage. She always eventually healed the injuries. After all, it would not do for the servants who bathed her to see her with bruises and bite marks."

Cam now felt like he was on the verge of throwing up. He pulled Vala back into his arms and held her tightly.

"Eventually, I got used to it. It was just sex, after all, and I would not let her use it to break me. When she realized that it was no longer hurting me emotionally, she toned down the level of roughness. She could not have her fun with me that way anymore."

"God, Vala," Cam said raggedly. "I am so sorry. I wish I'd known before."

"Why? What difference would it have made?"

"I would have been gentler with you when we made love."

Vala shook her head. "Our lovemaking was the way I wanted it, Cameron. I wanted that passion. Besides, what happened was years ago. I was over it a long time ago."

Cam had to wonder if that was entirely true. He also had to wonder about something else. He was no psychologist, but could it be that Vala's attitude about sex was due to that experience? He seemed to recall seeing something on TV about some rape victims eventually becoming promiscuous as a way to reassert control over their sexual relations.

Cameron kissed the top of Vala's head, then her forehead. For a brief moment, he was hit with the desire to tell her that he loved her, but he curbed it. Even if he dared say it, this would not be the proper time to do so. Instead, he leaned back and pulled his legs up onto the bed, bringing Vala down with him to lie with her head tucked under his chin. He softly, soothingly caressed her arm and back, wanting to make her feel better and somehow heal that old pain, as well as the new one. After a while, Vala raised her head, and he brought his lips down to hers in a slow, gentle kiss. Though he had not spoken the words, his love for Vala was in that kiss. It made her feel warm, and safe, and so very good.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made the couple jerk away, eyes going to the doorway. Daniel was standing there, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

Vala smiled. "Hello, Daniel."

"Um . . . hi. I, uh, wouldn't have disturbed you, but your name was just called on the P.A., Mitchell, and it looked like you might not have heard it."

Flushing at being caught kissing Vala, Cam was surprised that he hadn't heard the page. He got off the bed.

"Thanks. What was it about?"

"Landry asked you to come to his office."

"Right." The pilot turned to the woman in the bed. "I'll see you later, Vala."

"I'll be looking forward to it," she responded with a smile.

It turned out that the general wanted to talk to Cam about SG-1's next mission, which had been scheduled for tomorrow but would have to be postponed because of Vala's injury. They agreed upon a week's delay.

"Do you think she will be ready to return to duty by then?" Landry asked, staring closely at the lieutenant-colonel.

"She should be completely healed well before then, sir."

The general frowned at him. "Now I know you're smart enough to figure out that her injury is not what I'm talking about, Colonel."

Cam's gaze fell to the desktop for a moment before returning to the general's eyes. "Vala is tough, sir. What happened to her was a bad experience, but I know that she's going to be all right. I promise that if I think she's not ready yet, I'll ask for a longer postponement."

Laundry gave a nod. "Fair enough. Though we don't have someone connected to the program who specializes in this kind of thing, if it was necessary, someone could be brought in. If it becomes apparent that we need to do so, that's what will be done."

"Yes, sir."

The general sat back in his chair. "Now, on another matter, I have been told that you are aware of this thing that's going on between Doctor Jackson and Colonel Carter."

Caught by surprise, Cam said, "They told you?"

"Yes, they told me, and it shocked the hell out of me. I should have been told as soon as it started."

"Well, sir, in the beginning, they weren't sure if it would go beyond a few dates. If it didn't go anywhere, there would have been no reason to tell you."

Even as he said those words, Cam couldn't help but think about how that applied to him and Vala as well – or, at least, how it _used_ to apply. Falling in love with Vala had really changed the situation. Even if she eventually broke things off with him, he would still be in love with her. He had to wonder how he was going to handle going on missions with her if that happened. It wouldn't be easy. Daniel had intended to leave Earth because he believed that he could never be with Sam the way he wanted. Obviously, Cam wouldn't go _that_ far, but being around Vala almost every day would be very hard if she ended their relationship.

Pushing that thought aside, the leader of SG-1 said, "I know you might not be happy about this, sir, but there is one really good thing about it. Jackson won't be going off to Atlantis."

Laundry got a thoughtful look on his face. "You know, I didn't think of that." His sharp gaze returned to Cam. "It suddenly occurs to me that this thing with him and Colonel Carter might have a connection to his sudden decision to transfer to Atlantis, then his equally sudden decision to put that transfer on hold."

"Could be, sir," Cam responded, keeping a poker face.

He left the general's office a couple of minutes later. When he got to his own office, he found Daniel there.

"You're in love with her, aren't you," the archeologist said, deciding not to beat around the bush.

Cam halted in his tracks. Realizing that he was about to have a very private conversation, he shut the door. He then went to his desk and sat down.

"Am I right?" Daniel asked.

Cam let out a sigh. "Yes, I'm afraid you are, and let me tell you that I _definitely_ did not see this coming. The last thing I'd ever have expected was that I'd fall in love with Vala."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. It's not like she feels the same way. I have my doubts that she ever will."

Daniel found himself feeling sorry for the man, seeing in the pilot's situation a reflection of his own back when he thought that his love for Sam would always be unrequited.

"You know, there was a time when I would have tended to agree with you about Vala," he said, "but I've gotten to know her a lot better since then. You shouldn't give up on her coming to feel the same way about you."

Surprised by the archeologist's encouragement, Cam stared at him. "Thanks. And, speaking of romances, now that you and Sam are doing way more than just dating, you need to confirm to Landry that the transfer to Atlantis has been permanently cancelled."

Embarrassed by the first part of the pilot's statement, Daniel said, "Yeah, I didn't think about that."

"I don't think I have to tell you that both he and I are delighted that you'll be staying right here in the Milky Way galaxy." Cam's gaze went to his computer. "Well, if you will excuse me, I need to finish my mission report."

Giving him a nod, Daniel left the office. Despite his words to Cameron, he did have to wonder if Vala would ever feel more for the pilot than sexual desire. He sincerely hoped so. He knew the pain of loving someone who didn't love him, and it was a pain he would not wish upon any man.

* * *

As expected, Vala was released from the infirmary the next morning. Under doctor's orders to take it easy, she went to her quarters right after breakfast. First of all, she tried to watch some TV. When that failed to keep her mind occupied, she then did some surfing on the Internet. Unfortunately, that, too, did not succeed in getting her mind off the thoughts that had been plaguing her and the emotions they made her feel.

One thing Vala would never admit to Cam was that, when Deken was assaulting her, she flashed back to the day her virginity was cruelly ripped away from her, Ba'al's leering face and cold eyes looking down at her. Worst of all was the taunting internal voice of the symbiote inside her, saying that Vala's body now belonged to it, and the Goa'uld would do whatever it pleased with that body.

The memory arising within her mind yet again, Vala jumped to her feet and paced back and forth across the room. Angry that she couldn't get this under control, Vala told herself to stop thinking about it. She'd gotten over it years ago. And it's not like Deken succeeded in raping her. Thanks to Cameron, all he'd had a chance to do was make a mess of her clothes and give her a few bruises and a concussion. She'd had rougher handling than that.

Thinking of Cameron, she wished that he was there with her right now. He was so gentle and understanding yesterday. It had felt good to have him hold her like that. She had been embraced by many men over the years, but none of them had made her feel so safe, like nothing bad could ever happen to her as long as she was in his arms.

Vala shook her head at that thought. She was a strong, capable, independent woman. She didn't need anyone to make her feel safe and secure. She was just a little off-kilter right now because of the assault. She'd be back to normal in no time.

At lunchtime, Vala returned to the commissary, yet again ignoring the stares that were aimed at her every now and then. She had no doubt that many of the base personnel knew that she had almost been raped. She had to wonder how many of them thought that she'd brought it on herself. Maybe she had. If she hadn't pretended to hit on Deken, he might not have attacked her. Then again, he was a rapist, so he might have done so anyway.

"Is this seat taken?" a voice asked. Vala looked up to see Cam with a tray in his hands and a smile on his lips.

"Not at the moment," Vala replied, "although I have been hoping that Lieutenant Grant would invite himself to join me."

Cam's smile broadened. From what he'd heard, Lieutenant Grant starred in the fantasies of more than one female on base. "Well, in that case, I'll find another table. I wouldn't want to get in the way." He began to turn away but was stopped by Vala's voice.

"Don't you dare, Cameron. Besides, Lieutenant Grant is way too pretty for me. A woman likes to feel that she's prettier than the man she is with."

Still smiling, Cam sat across from Vala and stared to eat. He glanced up and noticed one of the airmen staring at Vala. Looking around, he saw a couple of other people doing the same thing. It made him angry because he knew the reason for the looks.

Glaring at them, he called out, "Hey! Why don't you pay attention to your food instead of rudely staring at people."

The angry words made everyone else look at him and Vala for a moment, then all eyes turned away from them.

"It's all right, Cameron," Vala said. "It doesn't bother me."

He studied her face. "Doesn't it? It would bother me."

Vala shrugged and looked down at her food. "Well, I guess it does a little."

Cam nodded sharply. He got to his feet, picking up his tray. "Come on. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Someplace where we'll have more privacy."

Trays in hand, Cam and Vala went to his office, where they ate the rest of their lunch.

It was after the last bite was taken that Vala quietly said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I shouldn't be surprised that they are acting like that. They probably think that I encouraged Deken to do what he did."

Cameron frowned deeply, not liking what he was hearing. "Hey. You get one thing straight. You did not encourage him to drag you into that alley and viciously attack you. You told him no, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"And you fought him, tried to get away?"

"Yes, of course."

"All right, then. Any ordinary guy, someone who had a grain of decency in him and was not a rapist, would have backed off, even considering what happened in that shop. No means no, regardless of any flirting that went on earlier."

Vala smiled at him, his words making her feel better.

"Oh, by the way, our next mission has been delayed for a week to give you a chance to recover," Cam told her.

"That really is not necessary. I will be fine in another day or so."

"Nevertheless, both Laundry and I insist."

"He isn't going to make me talk to someone, is he? I would really rather not."

"Not unless we believe that you need to."

"Well, I don't. I promise."

* * *

The nightmare roused Vala violently from sleep, a cry on her lips. She stared up at the ceiling as her thundering heart gradually slowed. Her gaze then went to the clock on the table. Six p.m. Not having gotten much sleep the previous night, she had started feeling tired that afternoon and decided to take a nap, but she hadn't intended to sleep for so long.

Rising from the bed, she changed out of her rumpled BDUs and into a fresh pair. After fixing her makeup and brushing her mussed hair, she went looking for Cameron to see if he'd like to join her for dinner. Upon failing to find him, she made some inquiries and learned that he'd gone home for the day. Very disappointed, Vala headed for the commissary but stopped before she was even halfway there. She didn't want to go there alone, not when she knew that she'd be subjected to more stares. She knew that it really shouldn't bother her. She had never been one to worry about what other people thought about her, but it was bothering her to think that some people on this base might believe that she had deliberately encouraged Deken to do what he did. She was certain that the woman who called her a slut was thinking that very thing.

Vala thought about seeing if Daniel or Sam might be free to join her, but she didn't want to seem pathetic. Besides, what she really wanted was to be with Cameron.

That's when she got an idea. She went back to her quarters and changed into casual clothes. She then took the elevator up to Level 11 and approached the first checkout point.

"Good evening Ms. Mal Doran," the airman on duty said.

"Hello. Nolan," Vala greeted with a smile. "How are things going tonight?"

"Oh, about the same as usual, ma'am." He studied her. "Are you intending to go out?"

"Yes. I am in the mood for something besides what they have in the commissary. I may go for an evening stroll afterwards."

The lieutenant nodded. He asked Vala to sign out and write down where she would be. She put down the name of a restaurant she'd gone to before and asked the man to call for a taxi. She was in a conversation with the guards at the front gate when the cab arrived.

On the drive to Cam's, she thought about how displeased Doctor Lam would be if she learned that Vala had left the base. But she felt fine, even the headache she'd had for most of the day was now gone.

To say that Cam was surprised when he found Vala on his doorstep would have been an understatement.

"Vala, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for dinner and your charming company."

"Dinner? I was just going to fix a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup."

"Mmm. Sounds perfect." She stepped inside.

"Vala, you shouldn't be here. You're supposed to be staying on base."

"Stop worrying, Cameron. I am perfectly all right."

Knowing that it was fruitless to argue with her, Cam returned to the kitchen, where he had been in the process of fixing dinner.

A while later, the two of them were sitting at the kitchen table, eating the simple meal. Cam said nothing about the fact that grilled cheese and tomato soup were considered comfort food.

After the meal was finished, Vala plopped down on the couch and asked Cam to join her. He hesitated before doing so. She immediately cuddled up to him.

"Anything good on television?" she asked.

"Vala, you can't stay here for long."

"I know. I just want to be out of the base for a while."

Cam looked down at her, then nodded. He turned on the TV and did some channel surfing before he found a movie that looked interesting.

They'd been watching the movie for around ten minutes when Vala's hand began caressing Cam's chest. He looked down at her again, and she kissed him. He lightly returned it, intending to back off after a moment. Vala, however, didn't give him a chance. She grabbed his head and held his mouth to hers as her tongue ventured inside. Suddenly, she was kissing him voraciously, her hands desperately yanking at his clothing, almost immediately going to the fastenings of his pants.

Cam pushed her away. "Vala, stop it. We can't do this, not after what happened to you."

"Please, Cameron. I want you. I _need_ you."

Cam stared into her eyes, seeing a desperate plea there. All of a sudden, he realized that this was because of the near rape. Vala needed something to take away the pain of what happened and thought that having sex with him would do it.

Cameron didn't know what to do. He should say no, but what would his rejection do to her in this state of mind?

As the pilot agonized over what the right thing to do was, Vala resumed kissing him, her lips and tongue covering his neck with frantic haste. He gently pushed her away again.

"Vala, stop," he told her softly.

A glimmer of tears shimmered in her eyes. "Please don't say no, Cameron. I need you tonight."

Cam cupped her face in his hands. "I know you do, baby. I know." He then kissed her very softly. When she tried to deepen it, he pulled back. "No. Not that way. This isn't going to be sex, Vala." He caught her eyes. "I am going to make love to you."

With those words, Cam rose from the couch, pulling her up with him. He led her to the bedroom and very gently removed her clothes. That's when he saw the bruises. They were all over her body, on her breasts, shoulders and back, her hips, her legs, two particularly nasty ones on her inner thighs, bruises he knew must have been caused by Deken forcing her legs apart with his knees.

His chest tightening so much that it hurt, Cam pulled her into his arms as tears filled his eyes.

"God, I wished I'd gotten to you before he hurt you," he told her in a voice full of anguish. He then began placing kisses all over her face. He laid her down on the bed. After quickly stripping off his own clothes, he joined her.

With every touch, every caress and kiss that followed, Cam slowly and lovingly tried to take away Vala's pain, to replace the memories of the vicious attack with those of joy and ecstacy. When he at last felt that Vala was ready for him, he sat up and pulled her onto his lap, sensing that she needed to feel some measure of control. As he gently united their bodies, she let out a soft sigh, her eyes sliding shut.

After a moment, they began to move, Vala's movements matching his, remaining slow and steady. After a while, Cam began using his hands to increase her pleasure. Her respiration increased, a low moan rising from her throat. Their pace sped up a little as they began approaching climax. They came less than a minute later, holding each other tightly as the rapture washed through them.

After it was over, Cameron laid back down on the bed with Vala, holding her close.

"Are you okay?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes." She lifted her head and gazed at him. "Thank you."

Cam caressed her cheek. "I wish you could stay, but I don't think you could come up with an explanation for being gone all night."

"Could we stay like this just a little bit longer?"

Cam nodded. "Okay."

Vala laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes. After just a few minutes, Cam felt her body relax and heard her breathing deepen. He realized that she'd fallen asleep.

Cam gazed at her face, his love for her suddenly filling him so full that he felt like he'd burst.

"I love you," he whispered ever so softly.

Cameron let Vala sleep for half an hour, then regretfully awoke her. They both got dressed without a word, then he called a cab.

As the taxi drove away with Vala inside, Cam began to wonder how long it would be before he could no longer stay silent about the love he felt for this woman who had so completely implanted herself in his heart.

* * *

Cameron was not the only man who spent the evening with the woman he loved. Sam had come over to Daniel's house for dinner. Afterwards, they sat together on the sofa and talked.

"You were right about Mitchell," the archeologist said after a while. "He is in love with Vala."

Sam looked at him. "How do you know?"

"He admitted it to me after I found him and Vala kissing in her room in the infirmary yesterday."

Sam let out a sigh. "I was afraid of that."

"He knows that Vala might never feel the same way."

"He told you that, too?"

"Yeah. I understand what he's going through, Sam. The difference is that I fell in love with you _before_ we started having sex."

"I really hope that everything turns out all right."

"Me, too." He paused a moment. "I also talked to Vala, or at least tried to."

"About Cam?"

"No. I tried to talk to her about what happened, but she shut me down, kept insisting that she was fine."

Sam studied his expression. "But you don't think she is fine."

There was an even longer pause before Daniel responded. "I sort of know what she must be feeling."

Sam clutched at his hand, knowing that he was talking about what Hathor did to him.

Daniel continued speaking. "Granted, the circumstances with Vala were different, and Mitchell prevented the actual rape, but there would still be feelings of powerlessness, of being unable to stop what was happening, the feelings of . . . violation."

Sam put her arms around Daniel, pulling him close. This was a subject that had not been talked about since shortly after Hathor raped him. Daniel went through a very difficult time for a while, and it took the efforts of Janet and all his teammates to help him heal. And the thing was that none of them would have even known what happened to him if he hadn't called in sick the next day, and Janet got worried. She sent Jack over there, who found Daniel in the bathroom, throwing up. Thinking that Daniel really was sick, Jack tried to take him to the base to get an examination. That's when the truth came out.

"Do you think she's going to be all right?" the astrophysicist asked.

"Yes, in time. She's a strong woman. But she needs to talk to someone about it. I'm hoping that she's talked with Mitchell or will eventually."

"Maybe _you_ should try talking to her again."

The couple watched a little TV, then went to bed. Daniel lay awake in the darkness, listening to the sound of Sam breathing. It had been years since he really thought about what Hathor did to him, though it was one of the most emotionally traumatic events of his life. Unlike what happened to Vala, Hathor hadn't needed physical violence to subjugate him. It had only taken the power of her breath. Yet, as it was happening, the part of him deep inside that wasn't being held in thrall to her power still felt trapped, forced into having sex with a creature that was a member of the race he hated.

And, now, Vala had come close to being raped, not by a Goa'uld, but by a vicious rapist and murderer. Daniel had gotten help from his friends, and it was Vala's friends who needed to step forward and help her, including him.

With an internal nod, Daniel made up his mind that, tomorrow, he'd go talk to Vala again – whether she wanted him to or not.


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

When a knock came on Vala's door at nine a.m. the next morning, she opened it to find Daniel on the other side.

"Hello, Daniel. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I want to talk to you about something."

Vala hesitated slightly before letting him in, hoping that he wasn't going to bring up the subject of what happened to her.

"What is this about?" she asked.

Daniel searched her eyes. "I think you know, Vala."

Now wishing that she hadn't let him in, she turned and walked away a couple of paces. "I told you that I was fine, Daniel."

"I know you did, and I also know that can't be true. You may want it to be true. You may even be telling yourself that it _is_ true, but someone isn't going to go through something like that and have no aftereffects at all. I do understand what you must be feeling, Vala."

A sudden spark of anger lit within the woman, and she spun around to face him. The anger came out in her words. "People say that all the time, that they understand, that they know how someone is feeling, but they usually have no idea at all because they have never gone through the same thing. So don't insult me, Daniel, by saying that you understand how I feel."

Daniel's gaze fell away from hers. He walked over to the nightstand and stared with unseeing eyes at what was upon it, his hands now buried deep in his pockets. He had been hoping that he would be able to get through this without having to tell Vala about his own experience, but he now knew that wouldn't be possible, not if he wanted her to open up to him.

"I _do_ understand, Vala," he said at last in a very quiet voice, "all too well." He drew in a deep breath. "A few months after the Stargate Program fully got going, two archeologists found an Egyptian sarcophagus in a Mayan ruin. While examining it, they accidentally opened it up and awoke the Goa'uld inside. That Goa'uld was Hathor."

Daniel heard Vala make a small sound, but he didn't turn to her. "She was able to sense the presence of the Stargate and came here. We still knew so little about the Goa'uld back then. We knew nothing at all about Goa'uld queens. I wish to God that we had. When she claimed to be Hathor, we all thought that she was a little nuts. By the time it became clear that she was telling the truth, it was far too late. She took control of every human male on the base, made us do whatever she pleased. Her plan was to spawn and take over Earth by repopulating it with Goa'uld loyal to her." He paused for several seconds. "She chose me to . . . help." The gasp he heard from Vala told Daniel that she understood what he was saying. "I tried to resist her, but it was useless. Afterwards, I felt so ashamed and . . . and dirty that I couldn't look at myself in the mirror without feeling like I was going to throw up. What made it even worse was that I felt like I had betrayed my wife."

"Oh, Daniel," Vala whispered in distress.

The archeologist continued. "It took a long time for me to completely get past what happened, and it would have taken even longer if my friends hadn't been there for me." Finally, he looked at Vala. "So, you see, I _do_ understand how you must be feeling, Vala. What happened to me wasn't exactly like what happened to you, but I know that some of the emotions I suffered back then are the same as what you are feeling now."

In the next moment, Vala had closed the distance between them and was in Daniel's arms.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel," the woman said. "I had no idea."

"You would have had no way of knowing. What Hathor did to me was kept out of the reports and all other official records. The only people who ever knew were my teammates, General Hammond, and the Chief Medical Officer, Janet Fraiser." Daniel looked intently into Vala's eyes. "I know that you don't want to talk about what happened, Vala, or about how it makes you feel. I didn't either. It took a lot of coaxing and patience for the others to get me to open up. But after I did talk about it, I started to heal. It won't be easy. In fact, it might be one of the hardest things you've ever done. But talking about it will make it better in the end. I promise."

Vala separated from Daniel and sat on the bed. "I did talk a little with Cameron."

"That's good. I'm glad to hear that."

Vala gazed into Daniel's eyes, seeing his compassion and genuine desire to help. Now that she was aware of what had happened to him, she knew that he really was someone who could understand how she felt. Even so, she still didn't feel up to revealing all the things that she had been feeling and thinking. The part of her that had always hidden her deepest pain wouldn't let her, at least not yet.

"I know that you want to help, Daniel, but I don't think I'm ready to talk about it with you, not yet."

Daniel nodded, knowing that Vala had to do this at her own pace. "Okay. But when you _are_ ready, I want you to know that I'll be here to listen."

Deeply touched and so very grateful to have a friend like Daniel, Vala rose to her feet and hugged him again.

Not so very long ago, holding him like this, having his body so close to hers, would have been like a dream come true and made her want way more than just a hug. But, now, all she felt was the warmth of friendship.

They drew apart and smiled at each other.

"Well, I'll let you get back to whatever it is that you were doing," Daniel said. He went to the door. Before going, through, Vala called to him.

"Thank you," she said. "And thank you for trusting me with the story of what happened to you. It means a lot to me. I will never tell anyone, Daniel. I swear."

Giving her a nod, Daniel slipped out the door, knowing that she would never break that promise.

* * *

It was two days later that Vala came to Daniel's office. The look in her eyes told him why she was there. Without a word, he got up, and the two of them went to her quarters.

The first thing Vala did was tell Daniel what she had revealed to Cam about Qetesh and Ba'al, knowing that he needed to be aware of it. The news horrified Daniel, especially since it made him think of Sha're and what she must have felt when Amaunet used her body to have sex with Apophis.

In the two hours that followed, Vala opened up to Daniel as much as she could, revealing things that she would never tell Cam because she knew that it would upset him too much and because Daniel would understand in a way that the pilot never could. He listened to it all quietly, giving her encouragement when it became hard for her to continue.

At the end of the two hours, Vala felt emotionally drained, but she also felt better. Sharing her pain had made the burden easier to bear, just as Daniel had said it would.

As for Daniel, he had seen a side of Vala that he'd only glimpsed before, the deeper, vulnerable side of a woman who had suffered a lot of pain in her life. Everything he had learned gave him a far greater insight into the psyche of someone who, in the beginning, he had believed was just a shallow, self-serving con woman.

"Are you going to talk to Mitchell about this?" he asked.

"Some of it, but I can't tell him everything. He became very upset when I told him about what Qetesh did to me."

Daniel gazed at her closely. "He cares about you a great deal."

"I know. I care about him, too."

The statement made Daniel wonder if it was possible that Vala might actually be falling for the pilot.

"You need to tell him as much as you feel like you can, Vala. I know he must be worried about you, and knowing that you're at the point where you're able to talk about it will ease his mind."

Vala nodded. She got to her feet, Daniel doing likewise.

"You . . . won't tell anyone about that stuff with Qetesh, will you?" she asked.

"I won't say a word, Vala, not even to Sam."

The dark-haired woman relaxed. "Thank you, and thank you for this, too."

Daniel gave her a brief hug. "It'll take a while, but there will be a day when you'll be able to put all of this behind you."

"Like you did?"

"Yeah. I'll never forget what happened, and neither will you, but I can think about it now and not let it bother me . . . at least not very much. The thing you have to remember is that none of it was your fault." He gave her a gentle smile. "If you feel like talking some more, just let me know."

"I will."

The next day was Cam's day off, and he decided that he was going to bring Vala home with him, regardless of the questions that might be asked. Of course, he didn't actually tell anyone that Vala would be coming home with him. Instead, he mentioned that he was going to take her out for some fun to forget about things for a while. As it turned out, that's exactly what they did. Cameron committed himself to the goal of making Vala forget about what happened. In the morning, they went for a walk. After lunch, they went to the movie theater, getting there an hour before their movie was to begin so that they could play in the theater's small arcade. After the movie, they got hot fudge sundaes. Their day out ended with another walk, then dinner.

"This was lovely, Cameron," Vala said back at his apartment. "I had fun. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Cam studied her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." Vala thought about her conversation with Daniel and what he said about talking to people. "May I see you tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure if that would be a good idea. We're really taking a chance as it is spending all day today together."

"How about if we go to the top of the mountain, to that little clearing?"

Cam thought about it. "Okay. That would work." His gaze intensified. "What's this about?"

"I . . . wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh. Um, all right. Will ten o'clock be good?"

"Yes, that will be fine."

At ten o'clock the following morning, Cam and Vala met atop Cheyenne Mountain and found a secluded spot to talk. It was there that Vala opened up to the pilot and talked to him about both last week's attack and more about what happened to her at the hands of Qetesh and Ba'al. Throughout it all, Cam experienced an array of emotions, mostly anger and sorrow. He spent a great deal of time hugging Vala, though there were times when she didn't want to be touched.

By the time Vala finished, Cameron was even more in love with her. In learning more about that dreadful experience in her past, he'd seen deeper into her heart and what made her the kind of person she was, just as Daniel had.

"You have no idea how much I wish that I could go back in time and change what happened," he said. He put his arm around her shoulder. "I'm glad that you were able to talk to me about it. It couldn't have been easy for you." He looked at her. "I know that you don't really want to talk to a professional about this, Vala, but maybe you should reconsider. We have psychologists attached to the Stargate program."

Vala shook her head emphatically. "No. I do not want to talk to some stranger about this. And my experiences with psychologists have not been pleasant. The psyche evaluation I had to undergo to determine if I was fit to work here was horrid."

"It wouldn't be like that one was, Vala."

"Nevertheless, I don't want to talk to a psychologist about this."

Cam knew that it was pointless to push anymore. "All right." He tightened his arm around her shoulders. "But any time that you want to talk to me some more, all you have to do is call."

Vala gave him a soft kiss. "I know." She got to her feet, as did Cam. "I want to stay out here by myself for a little while."

"Okay." Cam pulled her into a hug. "Everything will be fine, Vala."

"Yes, it will." She gave him a smile. "I am Vala Mal Doran, after all."

Cam chuckled quietly. "Yes, you most definitely are."

Cameron left Vala and went back inside, certain that she was going to be just fine.

* * *

When the day before SG-1's next mission arrived, Vala was strongly insisting that she was perfectly okay and would have no problem on the mission. Though Cam knew that she probably wasn't as all right as she was pretending to be, he trusted that she would be okay on the mission and told Landry that there was no need to postpone it further.

Fortunately, the mission turned out to be routine. In fact, it was downright boring. After they returned and took care of the post-mission exams and the debriefing, the five teammates went to the commissary.

"Well, that was a nice change of pace," Daniel remarked. "It can be a relief to have a boring mission every now and then."

Cam nodded. "Just as long as there aren't too many of them."

"With our track record, that's not likely to ever be a problem."

"You can say that again," Sam muttered.

"When is our next mission?" Vala asked.

"It's scheduled for a week from tomorrow," Daniel replied.

"Could we make it sooner?"

Every other member of the team focused their gaze upon her.

"Why would you want to make it sooner?" Cam asked.

Vala shrugged in an offhand manner. "It was just nice to be away for a while."

The others all exchanged a glance, wondering if this had to do with what happened to Vala.

"I'm not sure about bumping that one forward," Cam responded, an idea forming in his mind. "The area is inhabited, so we don't know what might happen, and I think that we'd probably all prefer not to get into any altercations. But I suppose I could ask if there is another easy mission on the schedule that we could take."

Vala's smile told him that she liked that idea.

After leaving the commissary, Cameron went to see General Landry.

"Sir, I wanted to talk to you about the mission that SG-16 is scheduled to go on the day after tomorrow, the one to the planet with the ruins on the sea cliff. I was wondering if SG-1 could take the mission instead." He paused. "I was also wondering if we could extend it to two days."

Landry stared at him. "Is there some reason for this, Colonel?"

"Well, the past several days have been kind of rough, sir. I would ask for some leave, but we wouldn't be able to do that until after the mission to P8F-081 next week. I just thought that the team might benefit from a couple of relaxing days someplace nice."

It was obvious to Landry that this had something to do with Vala's recent experience, but he chose not to say so. He gave a nod instead.

"All right, Colonel. Request granted."

"Thank you, sir."

Vala was delighted about the mission, and so was Daniel, who was intrigued by the ancient dwellings.

As SG-1 stepped out of the Stargate on Friday, more than one person's breath was taken away by the sight before them. The Stargate was just a few yards away from the edge of a sheer cliff that overlooked a vast expanse of ocean that was blue-violet in color. Tall spires of rock arose from the body of water like jagged fingers pointing to the cobalt blue sky. The lazily floating clouds had a slightly pinkish cast even though it was well past sunrise.

"Wow," Sam murmured. She followed her teammates as they walked up to the cliff's edge and looked down. Off to the left, built inside a massive cave, was the ruins of what looked like a large village. No one failed to see the expression of excitement in Daniel's eyes.

Sam smiled at him. "Something tells me that you're eager to go down there."

He smiled back at her. "Oh, just a bit."

"Well, then let's go," Cam responded.

They trekked the distance to where a steep staircase carved into the rock led down to the ruins. The staircase was only wide enough to accommodate a single person and had no railing, so the descent was a bit nerve-wracking. The further down they went, the wetter the stairs became due to moisture from the sea.

"Why is it that none of these ancient people ever thought of railings?" Cam complained after his foot slipped and he had to catch his balance.

Daniel would have answered, but they reached the ruins just a few steps later, and all of his attention was turned to them. He walked up to the wall of a structure, which had been constructed from cut stones mortared together.

"How in the world did they get all these stones down here?" Cam wondered aloud.

Daniel looked about. "They didn't. Look at the cave walls. The stones were cut out of them."

"I wonder why they chose to build this in such an inaccessible place instead of up top," Sam said.

"My guess would be to protect themselves from some kind of danger, perhaps an enemy. The staircase is narrow enough that no enemy could effectively attack them."

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed. A small number of well-armed men, if properly shielded, could hold off an army for a great length of time."

Cam frowned. "But the people in the village would be cut off from supplies."

Daniel shook his head. "They'd get enough drinking water from the fog and ocean mist, if they had a way to catch it, and I'm betting that there's a way down to the ocean somewhere around here, which means that they could have caught fish and other sea life. They probably could have held out for weeks, even months."

The team began exploring the ruins. When Daniel found some pictographs on one of the cave walls, his attention became focused upon them. Seeing that he wasn't going to be budging for a while, the others left him there and resumed looking about. At one point, Cameron and Sam were alone together. The pilot glanced at the astrophysicist.

"So I suppose that Jackson told you about what's going on with me, my feelings for Vala."

Sam considered pretending that she didn't know what he was talking about, but she knew that he wouldn't buy it.

"Um . . . yes, he did."

"And you're thinking that I'm even crazier than I was when I chose to get involved with her."

"We can't control the way we feel, Cam. When I fell in love with Jack, I knew it was not a good thing, but I couldn't help feeling that way." She drew closer to him. "I'm just worried about you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I know, Sam, and I appreciate that. I really don't know where this is all going to lead. I only know that what I feel for Vala is stronger than anything I've ever felt for any other woman."

With an understanding smile, she gave his arm a little rub, then returned her attention to the ruins.

It took an effort to drag Daniel away from the ruins, but the others finally managed it, and all of them returned to the top of the cliff. They found a place to set up camp. Afterwards, Daniel and Sam chose to go for a walk, calling it "recon" with a smile on their faces.

"It's so beautiful here," Sam remarked after they'd been walking for several minutes.

"Yes, it is," Daniel agreed.

Sam glanced at him. "I'm surprised that you didn't request that we get assigned to this mission right from the start."

"Oh, I would have, but Don Carver beat me to the punch."

"The archeologist on SG-16?"

"Uh huh. He took one look at the videos from the UAV and started salivating. He's probably not very happy that the mission was reassigned to us. I'll have to take lots of videos for him tomorrow."

"Where do you think the people who built that place came from?"

"I haven't found anything yet that would definitively link them to an Earth culture, although cliff dwellings were common among some of the ancient native tribes of the Southwestern United States. For all we know, this was an alien race, though they were obviously humanoid, based upon some of the pictographs. They haven't been gone for very long, no more than a couple hundred years, I'd say. The pictographs are in too good a condition for it to be much longer than that, what with the dampness of the environment."

"I wonder what happened to them."

"They might have moved from the area. We found no remains of bodies, so they weren't wiped out by war or disease, unless the bodies were disposed of or buried."

"You mean that their descendants might still be on the planet somewhere?"

"It's possible, although the UAV didn't find any other signs of habitation in the area."

"Even so, we'll want to keep watch tonight."

Daniel smiled. "Speaking of tonight, though we set up all five tents, I saw Vala putting her stuff in Mitchell's tent, although I don't think _he_ noticed."

"No, I doubt that he did."

Daniel glanced at Sam. "I would not object to you moving your stuff to my tent."

"We're supposed to be on a mission, you know."

"Yes, I am aware of that, although I got the impression that Mitchell is looking at it more like a couple of days for all of us to relax."

Sam smiled. "Yes, I got that impression as well." She thought about the question. "I suppose that if Cam doesn't boot Vala out of his tent, you and I can double up as well. It's not like we'd be doing anything but sleep."

Daniel grinned and put an arm around her waist. "So, no sharing a sleeping bag tonight?"

Sam came to a stop and turned to him. "Well, I didn't say _that_," she replied before pulling his mouth down to hers.

They resumed walking. After a few minutes, Sam glanced at Daniel's profile and saw that he appeared to be deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"I was wondering how your father would feel about the two of us being together."

Sam began to think about it herself. "I think he'd be happy about it," she finally said. "I know that he wanted me to have someone in my life. I also know that he had a great deal of respect for you. He made that clear in some of the things he said to me." Just then, a memory jumped into Sam's mind, one that made her come to an abrupt halt. "Oh my God."

"What?"

"I just remembered something. At the time, I didn't think about the significance of what he said, but now. . . . It was after we rescued him from Netu, while he was healing in the infirmary. The Tok'ra had learned about Amaunet's death, and he asked me how you were doing. I told him that you were coping. He said that, though Sha're's death was a tragedy and he wished that you could have saved her, it was better that you hadn't had to continue suffering for years through the anguish of her being a host, that you could now move on. He then said something that surprised me. He told me that you were a good man, someone he would be proud to have as a son."

Daniel was shocked. "He did?"

"Yes. When he said that, he was looking straight at me. Now that I look back on it, what I think Dad _really_ wanted to say was that he'd have been proud to have you as a son-in-_law_."

Daniel gaped at her. "But . . . but he didn't know me all that well back then. The two of us hadn't talked all the much. I think our biggest conversation was after the incident with Seth. He asked me about my schooling and some things about my past. I guess he was impressed by how quickly I found out where Seth was, although I don't know why. All I did was an Internet search."

"Actually, he knew a lot more about you than you realize, Daniel. He asked me a lot of questions about you. He could tell by what I said that I cared about you a great deal and really admired and respected you." Sam shook her head. "Thinking back on it all now, on other things he asked and said, I believe that Dad was trying all along to steer me in your direction, right up to the end. When my Replicator double kidnapped you and I was so afraid that you died when we activated the weapon on Dakara, Dad told me that I shouldn't give up hope. He said that you had an unnerving tendency to survive things that shouldn't be survivable. He was certain that you were still alive. The last thing he said in the conversation was that, if it turned out you had ascended again, I was to tell you that you weren't allowed to stay away for a year this time, that you belonged on this plane of existence with me and all the rest of us. The thing is that he paused for a second or two right after saying that you belonged here with me, as if the rest of the sentence was just tacked on."

"You're saying that, all that time, your father wanted us to be together?"

Sam nodded. "I think he saw in you someone who could make me happy." She shook her head again. "I can't believe I didn't see this before." An expression of sorrow came to her face. "I wish he was still alive so that he could see he was right."

Daniel pulled her into a hug. "I know that my parents would be happy about us, too."

"I wish I could have met them."

"So do I, although, if they hadn't died, I probably would never have met you. I doubt that I'd have gone public with my most radical theories since I'd have known that the fallout would affect them. And since it was those theories that drew Catherine's attention to me, she wouldn't have looked at me twice if I'd never published them."

"Actually, that's not true."

Surprised, Daniel stared at her. "It's not?"

"Catherine told me that she'd been following your career for years, ever since you published your research in cross pollination of ancient cultures. She said that it was brilliant work and didn't deserve the ridicule it got. She also said that the research showed how extraordinarily open-minded you are and that you aren't afraid to pursue theories others would scoff at."

Daniel's gaze drifted off to the vast expanse of ocean. "That was the first time I dared to publish a theory that I knew would not be accepted by the archeological community. It wasn't nearly as radical as some of my later ones, but it was radical enough that I was the target of some pretty harsh criticism. I had no clue that Catherine had been keeping her eye on me since way back then. She never told me."

"She thought very highly of you, Daniel." A sudden smile came to Sam's lips, followed by a little laugh. "You know what? I think that Dad wasn't the only person who was nudging me toward you. Catherine did it even more subtly than he did, but there were a few things she said that I now realize were hints that you and I would make a good couple."

Daniel grew a matching smile. "I think she gave me a few of those hints, too, but I wasn't paying attention. Ironically, the hints stopped coming after I descended, which is when I started becoming aware of my feelings for you."

"Do you think she saw that?"

"I don't know. Maybe. You know that get-together we all had when she came here to visit me after I descended? I was still a little confused about what I felt when you talked to me on Vis Uban, and I spent quite a bit of time watching you. I caught Catherine looking at me a couple of times with this funny little smile on her face. I had assumed that it was just because she was happy I was back, but I have to wonder now if it was because she'd noticed the way I was looking at you."

Sam put her arm around Daniel's waist. "So, for all those years, two people, who were obviously far wiser than we are, were trying to make us see what we could have together, but we were too dumb and blind to see it."

"Yep. That about covers it."

Sam laughed again and shook her head. "And they call us geniuses."

Daniel gave her a kiss. "Well, even geniuses can be idiots about some things."

The couple walked for a few more minutes, then returned to camp. The day had grown quite warm, and everyone was glad that they'd picked a shady spot for the camp.

"I would love to go for a swim," Vala remarked.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be possible," Daniel responded. "Even if there is a trail down to the water from the cliff dwellings, it would take too long. You'd never be able to get down there and back before it got too dark to safely traverse that staircase."

"Could we go tomorrow?"

"A dip in the ocean does sound good," Cam replied, "but I didn't bring a bathing suit."

Vala grinned broadly. "Who needs a bathing suit?"

"We do," everyone else replied, all except for Teal'c, who remained silent. Vala pouted.

Cam thought about it for a bit. "I suppose boxers aren't all that different from swim trunks."

Sam chipped in. "And a bra and panties don't reveal any more than a bikini does, a whole lot less than some."

"I do not wear boxer shorts," Teal'c intoned. Every other pair of eyes immediately turned to him.

"Really?" Vala said with a great deal of interest. "So what _do_ you wear?"

Cam got in on the fun. "Teal'c. I never would have pegged you for the tighty whitie sort."

Teal'c frowned. "I do not wear . . . tighty whities either."

Daniel's eyes got a little bigger. "Uhhh . . . Teal'c, are you saying that you're, um. . . ."

Vala's face was all but splitting in half. "Going commando? That is the term, isn't it?"

The Jaffa's eyes turned to her. "I am not. I am, in fact, wearing an article of clothing called boxer briefs."

Vala pouted again. "Oh. What a shame." That remark earned her a little punch in the shoulder from Cameron, as well as a glare. She turned to him and said. "Oh, not that I wouldn't _much_ rather have _you_ going commando, Cameron, but, since I have already seen your . . . assets many times, I am just cur—" The rest of her sentence was muffled by Cam's hand on her mouth. The pilot was now looking more than a little embarrassed.

Sam, who was embarrassed for Cam's sake, cleared her throat. "Going swimming in boxer briefs would be fine, Teal'c."

"All this is academic if we can't find a safe path down to the water," Daniel said, not sure if he wanted to even be in the same zip code as Vala while wearing nothing but soaking wet boxers.

"I guess we'll just have to see if we can find one," Cam said in response.

The conversation around the campfire that evening was relaxed and casual, that is until Cameron asked Sam and Daniel a particular question.

"I understand from Landry that you told him about your relationship. How did he take it?"

"Not well at first," Sam replied, "which is understandable. I guess you could say that we're on probation now. If all goes well and we don't let our relationship affect missions, he'll let us both stay on SG-1." She paused. "So how much longer are you going to put off telling him about you and Vala? He's going to have to be told eventually."

Cam and Vala glanced at each other.

"Uh, we haven't decided yet," the pilot replied. "It's been a while since we talked about it."

"Well, just don't take too long. He'll be even more angry if he finds out another way."

Cam shared another glance with his lover, then changed the subject.

It was Teal'c who volunteered to take the first watch when the time came to retire for the night. When Cam began crawling into his tent and saw Vala's stuff there, he turned around and stared at her. She gave him a hopeful smile. For several seconds, the leader of SG-1 considered telling her that she had to sleep in her own tent, but the words went unuttered. Instead, he jerked his head at her.

"Come on, then."

Vala beamed at him and happily complied. It being a warm night, they did not get into their sleeping bags, lying on top of them instead. Vala immediately cuddled up to Cam. They were both silent for a few seconds, then. . . .

"I know that people on Earth refer to having sex on an airplane as joining the Mile High Club," Vala whispered. "What would they call having sex on an off-world mission?"

"Grounds for a court-martial," Cam answered.

"Oh, now, Cameron. Where is your adventurous spirit?"

"Not in this tent. Give it up, Vala. It is not gonna happen."

Vala's pout returned. "You are just no fun. We could be very quiet. No one will ever know."

"Teal'c is sitting just a few yards away and probably has bionic hearing. In fact, he can probably hear what we're saying right now."

"What is bionic hearing?"

"Just give it a rest, Vala. We are going to sleep, and that's all."

Vala let out a sigh. "Oh, all right. I guess I'll just have to wait until after the mission is over."

In another tent, two other members of SG-1 were also talking.

"How much do you want to bet that Vala is, at this very moment, trying to talk Mitchell into having sex?" Daniel asked the woman lying beside him.

Sam let out a little laugh. "I wouldn't bet against you on that." She snuggled closer to her lover. "I have to admit that it is tempting. Totally out of the question, of course."

Daniel looked at her. "Of course," he agreed before joining his mouth with hers. The kiss got pretty passionate before they put a halt to it.

"You know, I feel a little sorry for Teal'c," Daniel said with a smile. "He's the odd man out now."

Sam nodded. "I wonder what he feels about all of this. He hasn't said anything."

"Um, that's not exactly true."

Sam's gaze focused upon Daniel. "Oh?"

"Back when Teal'c first found out about our plan to start dating, he approached me about it. I asked him if he thought I had a chance with you."

"You did? What did he say?"

"That he believed we would have a successful relationship."

"Really? Wow. Then he was okay with it?"

"Apparently. In fact, I got the impression that he was more than just okay with it."

"Well, that's good to know. I wonder what he thinks about Cam and Vala."

"Maybe he'll let us know someday."

Back in the other tent, Vala and Cam were still talking.

"We're going to have to decide soon about telling Landry about us," the pilot said.

"I know. I'm just afraid that he will remove me from the team. He has a good reason for keeping Daniel and Samantha on SG-1, but my contribution to the team is not as obvious as theirs."

"It may not be as obvious, Vala, but it's still there. You have a lot of contacts out there that we don't, and you also have a lot of valuable knowledge and experience. The general is aware of that, and I'm sure he appreciates it."

Vala studied his expression. "Then you want to tell him?"

Cam returned her gaze, his eyes spearing into hers. "That all depends on one thing."

"What's that?"

"On whether or not you expect this relationship of ours to continue."

The sentence resulted in dead silence as Vala's eyes dropped to Cameron's chest. It took a while for her to respond.

"Do . . . _you_ expect it to continue?"

"I _want_ it to. I have no desire for it to end."

Vala smiled and returned her eyes to his. "Neither do I."

Cam was very happy with her answer. "Then we need to tell him."

Vala sighed in resignation. "I guess you're right."

Cam cupped her cheek. "Vala, no matter what happens, it isn't going to change things between us. I promise you that. There is also one good thing about telling him. We will no longer have to sneak behind everyone's back when we want to spend time together. We can get together as often as we want."

A smile came to the black-haired woman's face. "Yes, that is definitely a good thing." The smile faded. "So when are we going to tell him?"

"After our next mission, I think. He'll be off-duty on Monday, and I wouldn't want to spoil his relaxed mood by telling him on Tuesday." Seeing the worry in Vala's eyes, he gave her a soft kiss. "Don't worry, Vala. It'll be all right. We have to believe that."


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

It was early the following morning when SG-1 began their journey back down the cliff. When they came to the ruins, Daniel quite naturally hesitated, thinking that he'd much rather be exploring them than going swimming and sunbathing, especially since it would be without a swimsuit. Sam had to do a bit of gentle urging to get him to move on.

They found a stairway down to the ocean at the other end of the cave. It ended on a short stretch of beach. Sam walked up to the water and tested the temperature.

"How is it?" Daniel asked.

"A lot warmer than I expected."

The archeologist nodded. "Based upon the foliage in the area, we appear to be in a semi-tropic zone."

"I wish we had scuba gear," Cam remarked. "There could be some coral reefs out there."

"Come on. Let's go swimming!" Vala exclaimed.

"I think it's still just a bit too cool for that," Daniel responded. He pointed off to the left. "It looks like there are some tide pools over there. I'm going to go take a look."

The others joined him and studied the creatures living in the pools of water. Some looked very much like what you'd see on Earth, while others were totally alien. They did not attempt to touch any of the creatures, not knowing if any of them were poisonous.

Afterwards, they walked to where a narrow section of the beach extended around a small promontory. At high tide, the little strip of sand would disappear, as would around half of the rest of the beach. Arriving at the other side of the promontory, they got a good look at more of the coastline, which extended for as far as the eye could see.

"Yep, I could definitely spend some quality vacation time here," Cam commented. He turned around. "Come on. Let's go back. It's starting to get warm, and I'm ready for a swim."

Vala was the first to strip down to her underwear once they got back to the other section of beach, followed by Cameron.

"Um, I'm just going to sit for a while," Daniel said. He went to a driftwood log and took a seat on it.

"Shy, Daniel?" Vala asked teasingly.

"I'm just not in the mood to swim right now."

Understanding how he felt, Sam sat beside him.

Vala turned her attention to Teal'c. "What about you, Muscles?"

"I will remain here for the present time."

Vala shook her head. "Suit yourself." She then turned and ran off into the surf. Cam looked at his other teammates, shrugged, then joined Vala at a bit more sedate pace.

Daniel watched the two for a while, then looked at the woman sitting beside him. "You don't have to stay with me, you know."

"I know. To be honest, I'm a little uncomfortable about playing in the ocean in my underwear."

"Sam, you're beautiful. You have nothing to be ashamed of showing."

The blonde-haired woman stared back at him. "Neither do you."

Daniel's gaze dropped to the sand between his feet. "I've just never been comfortable about showing my body."

"Why?"

"After my parents died, I was a pretty shy and insecure kid, and I guess, deep down inside, a part of me is still that way, at least about some things."

Sam linked her arm with his. "You have no reason to be, Daniel." She smiled. "Speaking as someone who knows more than anyone else, you are a real hunk."

That made Daniel blush slightly. "You're biased."

"Daniel, when you came back from ascension the second time, and I saw you in nothing but that flag Jack gave you, it felt like my temperature went up five degrees."

Shocked, the archeologist stared at her. "It did?"

"Oh, you'd better believe it, and I certainly wasn't biased back then."

"Wow. So, you, um. . . ."

"Got turned on? Oh, yeah. Needless to say, I was shocked and ashamed to feel that way, which is why I kept my eyes glued to the table most of the time."

Daniel was now grinning. "Any more confessions you'd like to make?"

"Maybe when we're alone together." She gave him a quick kiss, then got to her feet and held out her hand. "Come on. I'll do it if you will."

Daniel looked up at her, then took her hand and rose to his feet. "Deal," he said, grateful for the fact that he was not wearing light-colored boxers, which, when wet, would have shown way more than his modesty would allow. He'd noticed that Mitchell had on black boxers and wondered if the pilot had chosen to wear them this morning for the same reason.

They undressed and joined Cam and Vala, the latter of which grinned when she saw them. After a bit of coaxing, Teal'c joined them as well. He did not remain in the waves, however, striking out into the water with a powerful stroke instead. After a moment, the other male members of the team did likewise as the women looked on. They went out around fifty yards before turning around and coming back. Teal'c kept right on going.

Daniel was the first one to rise out of the water, and Vala couldn't help but stare, her eyes drawn to his crotch and what the drenched blue cotton revealed.

"Oh, my," she murmured. "Samantha, you are a very lucky woman."

"Yes, I am, and you don't know the half of it."

Surprised that the astrophysicist had said that, Vala stared at her. "Oh, _really_. So he's great in bed?"

Sam knew that she shouldn't reply, that Daniel would be horrified if she said anything, but she just couldn't stop herself from saying, "Oh, yeah."

Any response Vala would have had to that was curtailed by the arrival of the two men. They turned to watch Teal'c, as did the woman. The Jaffa was now barely visible out on the water.

"How far is he going to go?" Cam wondered aloud.

The question was answered a moment later when the tiny figure stopped, then slowly began growing closer. The others got out of the water and waited for him on the beach.

"Enjoy your little swim?" Cameron asked once Teal'c had joined them.

"Indeed. I would have preferred to go farther, but, as I am unfamiliar with these waters and do not know what large sea creatures may reside in them, I decided that it would be unwise to venture into deeper water."

The five teammates went to the log Daniel and Sam had sat upon. They found a couple more and dragged them over so that they would all have a place to sit.

"Have you got any plans for your next leave?" Cam asked Daniel and Sam. "We're all due for some leave time."

The two scientists looked at each other.

"We haven't really discussed it," Daniel replied.

"_My_ plans are to go with Cameron someplace where we will be completely alone and can spend our days and nights in bed," Vala declared, which embarrassed the man sitting beside her.

"You know, Vala. You don't have to announce stuff like that to the whole world," he complained.

"I did not announce it to the whole world, Cameron, just to our teammates, who are all perfectly aware that we are having sex."

Daniel caught the pilot's eyes. "I can't tell you how glad I am that it's you in this position and not me."

Not appreciating his remark, Vala said, "I will have you know, Daniel, that I am not the only woman who talks about such things. In fact—"

"Vala?" Sam quickly interrupted, knowing exactly what the other woman was about to reveal.

"Yes?"

"That's enough." The warning glare she gave the woman said the rest of what she was thinking. The former Goa'uld host saw the wisdom in silence and chose not to continue her statement.

Not daring to meet Daniel's eyes, Sam looked at the ocean again, cursing herself for her earlier confession about his prowess in bed. She should have known that it would come back to bite her in the butt.

Once his shorts were dry enough, Daniel put his pants and T-shirt back on, not intending to go in the water again. Sam did likewise, followed by Teal'c, Cam, and, lastly, Vala.

After a while, the sun got hot enough that the teammates moved to a shady spot beneath an overhang.

"It's going to be a hot climb back up to the top," Cam observed.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "I'm thinking of heading back up now. I want to examine the ruins some more and take some videos."

"But we've hardly been down here any time at all," Vala complained.

"Vala, in case you've forgotten, this is supposed to be a mission, not a vacation, and the point of the mission is those ruins and trying to figure out who built them."

Sam nodded. "Daniel's right. We shouldn't be goofing off."

Cam began wiping the sand from his feet. "They're both right." He slipped his socks on, then reached for his boots.

As all her other teammates did likewise, Vala pouted for a while, then put her own shoes and socks on.

The climb back up was not pleasant, the heat becoming even more noticeable, only the ocean breeze making it bearable. By the time they got to the ruins, they were all very grateful for the shade it afforded.

"It's definitely hotter than yesterday," Sam said.

"Well, the good news is that it appears to be spring where we're going on our next mission," Daniel stated.

The archeologist resumed his search of the ruins, taking videos and looking for something that would tell him if the ones who constructed the buildings were descendants of people from Earth or an alien race. He was inside one of the structures that appeared to have been a residence when he struck pay dirt. He was so excited that he let out a shout, which brought the others running. They found him staring at the remains of a ceramic pot, which bore a beautiful black and white design.

"This is incredible," he said, seemingly unaware of the presence of the others. "I-I knew there was a chance, but to actually confirm it. . . . We need to bring a team of archeologists here. This is one of the most important archeological finds we've ever made!"

"Jackson!" Cam shouted, finally breaking the spell. Startled, Daniel looked up.

"What are you blabbering about?" the pilot asked.

"This pot! The design of the artwork is unmistakable."

"You know who built this place?" Sam asked, not having seen him this excited in a long time.

"Yes! It was the Anasazi!"

Surprised, Cam stared at the pot. "Really? Okay, so now I understand why you're so excited."

"Who are the Anasazi?" Vala asked.

It was Daniel who answered. "They were an ancient tribe of Native Americans who lived in the areas of southern Utah, northwestern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southwestern Colorado. Their culture dated at least as far back as the first century A.D., though some believe it goes back much farther, as far as 1500 B.C.. The most well-known remains of their civilization are in Colorado at Mesa Verde. For some reason, the entire civilization abandoned their homes around 1300 A.D. and apparently migrated to other areas. There are several theories about the reason, including worsening climate conditions, depleted soil, population explosion, rival tribes, or perhaps a combination of more than one of those things. But what if it was something else?"

"Like what?" Cam asked.

"The Goa'uld. What if they came and began taking people? The others might have fled in order to escape the raids. We know that the Gou'ald were still taking people from Earth at that time. The Mongol descendants we found on Simarka prove that." Daniel waved his hand around. "This could solve a mystery that has been left unanswered for decades!"

The leader of SG-1 studied the archeologist, never having seen the man this excited before. "No, Jackson, you are not going to spend the next month exploring this place."

"But don't you realize how important this is?"

"Yes, I do, and I agree that the SGC should send some people, but you are not going to be one of them. We are not an archeological team; we are a first contact team. That means we go to new places, see what's there, meet and greet anybody who happens to be around, then go on to the next mission. Well, that is except when we're fighting Goa'uld, or Ori, or some other bad guy."

Daniel was pretty ticked off and was about to say something when it occurred to him that joining an archeological team he knew would be here much longer than a month would mean that he'd rarely see Sam, and she was far more important to him than any dig could ever be, even one as historically significant as this one.

"All right. I won't ask to join the team, but not because of what you said," he told the pilot. He then looked at Sam, and she suddenly knew the reason he was giving up something that, a few months ago, he'd have just about sold body parts to be a part of. It made her really understand how important she was to him.

Cam looked up at the position of the sun. "We're going to have to get going in another couple of hours. I want to get back to the gate well before dark." He turned back to Daniel. "So, go on and have a little more fun. I'm going to find the coolest place I can and relax."

Daniel spent the two hours looking for more pottery, Sam at his side.

"It's nice to see you this excited on a mission," she said. "It's been a long time."

Daniel glanced at her. "Yes, I guess it has been. I kind of lost the air of excitement over the years, what with Sha're's death and everything else."

"I know why you gave into Cam. It means a lot to me that you'd give up something like this for me."

Daniel turned to her fully. "Sam, I love you, more than anyone or anything in my life. I would love to be part of a dig like this, but if it would mean that I wouldn't see you for days or weeks at a time, there is no contest."

Tears stinging her eyes, Sam stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "I am so lucky to have you," she whispered. That made her remember her earlier conversation with Vala. "And, tonight, I am going to show you my appreciation."

Daniel began to smile. "Well, in _that_ case, maybe we should head for home right now."

They both laughed and resumed their search.

By the time SG-1 left the ruins, the couple had found three more samples of pottery. The treasures were carefully wrapped and stowed in Daniel's, Sam's and Teal'c's backpacks. Then they began the long trek back up the cliff. Even Teal'c was drenched in sweat by the time they reached the top.

Cam mopped the sweat from his brow. "Now I need another dip in that ocean. Better yet, a long, cool shower."

They made their way to the Stargate and gated home.

"Welcome back, SG-1," Landry greeted from the control room. "Find anything interesting?"

Cam glanced at Daniel with a smile. "Oh, I'd say so, sir."

"Very well, then. Go on and get cleaned up and get your post-mission exams. Briefing in an hour."

Landry was quite surprised when he learned what Daniel had discovered and agreed that it was important enough to send an archeological team to the ruins.

"You aren't going to request to join them, are you?" he asked the archeologist.

"No, sir."

"Well, that's good. We need your skills here."

That night, after Sam had shown her "appreciation" to Daniel, the lovers lay quietly in bed.

"Everything's changed so much," Sam remarked. "Just a few months ago, we were all neck-deep in the fight against the Ori and their followers. Our lives revolved around fighting, and death and destruction. Yet look at us now."

"I know what you mean. Back then, I could never have imagined that I could be this happy." Daniel looked down at her. "I would never have dared to hope that I would someday be lying with you in my arms like this."

Sam smiled and gave him a tender kiss. "You make me happy, too, Daniel, happier than I've ever been. For the first time in a long time I have something to look forward to every day. I really have only one regret."

"What's that?"

"That I didn't pull my head out of my butt years ago. If I had, you and I may have been together all this time, since you realized that you loved me."

Her statement made a question come to Daniel's mind, but he chose not to speak it. How would things have been different if she hadn't fallen in love with Jack? Would she have come to see him in that way instead?

Putting those questions out of his mind, Daniel said, "What matters is what we have now, Sam."

She nodded. "You're right. It is. And I can't wait to see what's yet to come."

"Me too."

With a contented sigh, the lovers closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Any possibility for some exciting revelations about the origins of the people we're going to meet on this mission?" Cameron asked Daniel as SG-1 stood waiting in the gate room.

"I suppose it's possible. You never know."

"Well, I'll just be happy if they don't attempt to skewer us on the ends of spears. That would really ruin the good mood we're all in from our last mission."

Just then, the gate activated. After a wish for good luck from Landry, they stepped through. They came out the other side to the sight of several men pointing spears at them.

"You know, I was just joking about the spears," Cam muttered as he raised his P-90.

Daniel held up is hands and took a slow step forward. "It's all right. We come in peace."

The men all looked at each other in confusion. One of them then turned back to Daniel and spoke. The problem was that none of them could understand what he said.

"Why can't we understand him?" Cam asked. "I thought the Stargate was supposed to take care of that."

"Um, sometimes, it doesn't work," Daniel replied. "The language sounded familiar, perhaps a derivation of one of the Celtic languages."

"Can you speak it?"

"I don't know yet. I am familiar with several of the forms still in use today, such as Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh, as well as Manx, which is a mostly extinct language. All I can do is try."

Daniel turned back to the armed natives. Slowly, he began talking in Gaelic and immediately got a reaction. The man who had spoken before replied, but Daniel only understood about half of the words.

"Well, I was right," he told his teammates, "but the language has changed a lot from its roots. I can understand part of it, but communication is going to be limited until I get a better handle on this derivation."

"Well, just as long as they understand the peaceful explorer bit," Cam said.

After a difficult few minutes, Daniel did manage to convey that he and his teammates meant no harm. The spears were lowered, and all the members of SG-1 relaxed. They descended the dais.

One of the natives said something, addressing Daniel.

"What did he say?" Vala asked.

"Um, something about a festival. I think he wants to know if we've come to take part in it."

The dark-haired woman smiled. "A party? Ooh, goodie. I love parties. What are they celebrating?"

Daniel talked with the natives and managed to understand enough to answer Vala's question.

"It's some kind of spring festival. That makes sense. Three of the most important celebrations of the ancient Celtic people revolved around spring or happened in that season: Imbolc, Alban Eiler, and Beltane. They all had to do with fertility, rebirth and the beginning of new life."

"Well, then, sure," Cam said. "Tell them we're happy to join the party."

Daniel conveyed the pilot's words to the natives, who all smiled brightly. They looked at the two women and smiled even wider.

"Why are they looking at us like that?" Vala asked. "They don't practice some kind of weird ritual, do they, like perhaps sacrificing virgins?"

"Why should you worry if they do?" Cam responded with an amused smile. "It's not like you'd qualify."

Vala gave him a glare. "Well, _they_ don't know that."

"Don't worry, Vala," Daniel said. "I seriously doubt that any sacrifices of women will be going on, virgins or otherwise."

As the team entered the village, they could easily see that a big celebration was going on. There were colorful streamers, garlands of flowers and other decorations everywhere. People were dancing and singing, children playing happily in the streets.

"It sort of makes me think of Mardi Gras, minus the garish costumes and booze," Cam remarked. Then he saw two laughing men drinking something that looked like beer. "Okay. Just minus the garish costumes."

Winding their way through the crowd, SG-1 made it to the center of the village, where something like a gazebo had been set up, which was just about groaning beneath the weight of flowers and other decorations. Within the gazebo was an elderly man whose elaborate headdress told Daniel that he was a person of importance, perhaps the village leader or something on the order of a druid.

The team reached the gazebo. When the old man spotted them, a look of surprise, then one of concern came over his face. Daniel haltingly told him that they were there in peace. The man's gaze went to all the members of the team one by one, then asked the same thing that the guys at the gate did. Daniel replied that they'd be honored to join the festivities. Upon hearing those words, the elderly man's entire demeanor changed, a welcoming smile lighting his face. He introduced himself as Luan, who was apparently both a religious leader and the leader of the village. He excitedly babbled about all the things that were going on, but Daniel barely understood any of it, only enough to confirm that it was, indeed, a festival of spring. He also learned that it happened only once per year.

"How long does this festival last?" he asked.

"Six days it goes. Today is the last day. You have only just arrived in time. But no matter! You honor us with your request to join. Oh, yes! A great honor that you would come so far to do this."

"Then you know that we are not from this world?"

Luan nodded enthusiastically. "We saw the metal thing that came through days ago. We feared it at first, but it did no harm. We watched as it moved about, then disappeared back through the ring of water and light."

Daniel gave a nod. Because of the high cost of MALPs, the SGC programmed most of the ones used for planetary exploration to dial the gate so that they could come back through on their own instead of being left there until a team came through. Before opening the iris and allowing a MALP to return to Earth, the SGC would take all precautions possible to make sure that it did not come back with anything it shouldn't – such as a bomb or invasion force. Only when a situation warranted doing so was a MALP left on a planet for later retrieval.

Luan continued speaking. "Our legends speak of a time when gods and other men came through the ring, so we thought that perhaps someone was coming. The legends say that some of the ones who came through were cruel and evil, so I placed a guard there." He smiled again. "But you are friends, not enemies, so you are welcome. Please. Partake of the feast. Sing and dance. When the sun is high in the sky, the ceremony will begin."

Daniel was going to ask him what kind of ceremony, but someone walked up to the man with news about some problem with a musical instrument. Luan excused himself and went off with the man.

"What was that all about?" Cam asked.

Daniel filled them in on the conversation. By the end of it, Vala was smiling.

"Well, we wouldn't want to insult our hosts by refusing to partake of all that food, drink and merriment, now would we."

Cam stared at her. "Vala. . . ."

Knowing what he was going to say, Vala didn't let him finish. "Now, Cameron. What harm would it do to join these people in the fun? They are having such a good time. Besides, you had Daniel tell them that we'd be happy to join the party."

"That was for the benefit of maintaining peace and good will. I didn't mean that we would actually get involved in the festivities."

Vala frowned. "Spoilsport."

SG-1's leader turned to Daniel. "I kind of doubt that we're going to learn much from these people while they're all partying. Should we come back in a couple of days?"

Daniel shook his head. "I don't think that would be a good idea. Luan was very honored by our presence and would likely be insulted if we skipped out on the festival. It ends today, so I'd suggest that we stay at least until after the ceremony he talked about is over, then make some excuse that we have to get home and ask if we can return in a couple of days."

"All right. We need to let the general know what's going on and that we won't be back until late this afternoon."

After filling Landry in on the situation, the five teammates wandered about the village. The cheerful, friendly mood of the place made them relax. Daniel talked to quite a few people, partly in his efforts to learn more of the language.

Cam's gaze moved about. "I have to say that I've never seen a happier bunch of people. They really take this whole spring thing to heart."

Daniel gave a nod. "The religion of the ancient Celtic people was nature-based, so spring, with its new growth and the time for planting crops, was of great significance. I suspect that, here, the three spring celebrations were eventually combined into one."

"A single big party? Well, I do have to hand it to them. They certainly are putting their all into it."

"It's interesting, though, how their religion has apparently changed from their origins, specifically their belief in deities. I'm guessing that the Goa'uld had something to do with that."

SG-1 did end up partaking of some of the food, mainly because people kept handing them things. As for the drink, they sampled some fruit juices, but anything that was suspected of being alcoholic was off-limits.

As noon approached, SG-1 returned to the center of the village. Several men and women were being arranged in a circle in the order of boy, girl, boy, girl. The women wore circlets of flowers on their heads, whereas the men wore a garland around their necks. Behind each pairing of man and woman stood a lone person, and at the feet of the pair was a pot filled with soil.

At that moment, Luan saw the team and hurried forward.

"Come, come! It is time! Oh, what a blessed day!"

Daniel, Sam, Cam and Vala were added to the circle of guys and girls, with Teal'c placed behind them. Luan handed circlets to Sam and Vala and garlands to Daniel and Cam for them to wear, then pots were placed before them.

Seeing the way the pilot was staring at the garland in his hands, Daniel murmured, "Just pretend you're in Hawaii, and it's a lei."

Cam sighed and reluctantly donned the garland.

Luan went to the center of the circle where a boy around ten years old stood beside a small altar upon which was a tray with six small bowls of what looked like seeds.

Luan raised his arms, lifted his face toward the sky, and began to speak. Daniel listened to the words, managing to make out around two-thirds of them.

"What's he saying?" Cam asked the linguist.

"From what I can understand, he's petitioning their gods to bless all of us, something about long life, happiness and fruitfulness."

"Well, that's nice," Vala remarked.

After the prayer was finished, the boy picked up the tray and walked with Luan to one of the pairs of men and women and spoke a few words to them. The man and woman each lifted a hand and cupped them together. The elderly man took a seed from one of the bowls and placed it in their cupped hands, saying something to them as he did so. He then repeated the process five more times, taking one seed from each of the other bowls. He picked up the pot that was at the feet of the couple. The man and woman planted the seeds in it and took the pot from Luan, who then spoke briefly to the woman standing behind them.

The elderly man turned from the couple and walked to the one at the opposite side of the circle, where he repeated the ritual. He then crossed the circle again to the pair standing to the right of the first one. This time, Daniel was able to understand a little of what Luan said to the couple, and he began to suspect the nature of the ceremony.

"I think I know what this is about," he told his teammates in a low voice. "These are all romantic couples, probably newly married, and he's blessing their unions."

"He thinks that we're a couple pairs of newlyweds?" Sam asked.

"Or perhaps engaged."

"What about Teal'c?" Cam questioned.

"I don't know. I didn't quite catch what he said."

"Okay, so he got it right that we're couples, although I'm curious about how he knew who was with whom. But we're neither engaged nor married, so this whole thing doesn't apply to us."

"That is true, but I realize now that when we told him we'd be happy to join the celebrations, he assumed that the four of us were couples who'd come here specifically for this." Daniel looked at Cameron. "It's not going to hurt to just go through with it. It wouldn't be a good idea to pull out now."

Shortly after that, Luan got to SG-1, standing before Daniel and Sam first.

"Lift your hands so that you may receive the blessings of the gods," the elderly man instructed. Daniel and Sam did so, copying the actions of the previous couples.

Luan took a seed from one of the bowls and put it in Daniel's and Sam's joined hands. "May your union be blessed with fertility, passion, vigor, strength, and courage," he said. He then took a seed from a different bowl and gave it to them. "May you be blessed with love, romance, unity, honor, and happiness in your union." A third seed was placed in their hands. "May you find together tranquility, patience, devotion, and sincerity." With the fourth seed his wish was for them to be blessed with energy, prosperity and longevity. The fifth seed was for wisdom, success, and empowerment, and the sixth and final one was for truth, peace, serenity, and purity of spirit.

Just as the other couples did, when Luan presented the pot to them, Daniel and Sam pushed the seeds into the soil and took the pot from him.

Luan moved on to another couple on the other side of the circle.

"What do you think those seeds are?" Cam asked Daniel in a whisper.

"Based upon the abundance of flowers in this festival, I'm guessing more of the same."

Cam and Vala were the next couple to undergo the ritual. Afterwards, Luan moved over a step so that he was standing directly in front of all five members of the team. He addressed his next words to Teal'c.

"Blessings to you as well for guiding these men and women to the joys of love."

This time, Daniel completely understood all of the words and had to fight not to smile, now knowing what Teal'c's believed role was in all of this.

Luan went one by one to the remaining couple. Then he left the circle and went into the gazebo. He lifted his arms and called out to the crowd, "The ceremony is at an end! Let everyone rejoice!"

All of the witnesses broke into cheers. The ring broke up, each couple going off together.

Bursting with curiosity, Vala asked, "So what was all of that stuff he said?"

Daniel repeated what the blessings were for the couples.

"What did he say to Teal'c?" Sam questioned.

Daniel couldn't hold onto his smile any longer. "Oh, it was a blessing, too."

Cam stared at the archeologist. "What are you smiling about? Did you learn what Teal'c's part in all of this is?"

"Yes, I did. They believe that he's the one who got us together."

Now, Cam was smiling. "They think that Teal'c is a matchmaker?"

"Pretty much."

Cam's smile got bigger. "Oh, man. That is just too fu. . . ." His voice trailed off as he saw the glare he was being subjected to from the Jaffa. He cleared his throat, the smile fading. "Um . . . well, they definitely got _that_ wrong."

Sam was hiding a smile, but Vala wasn't hiding hers. She opened her mouth to say something, but Daniel took hold of her arm.

"I wouldn't say it, if I were you," he muttered under his breath.

Vala paused, then said, "Perhaps you are right."

"So let's go find Luan and express our regrets for leaving the party early," Cam said.

They found the elderly man at the same time as he spotted them.

"Ah, our new friends!" he greeted. "Glorious day, is it not? The gods will surely bless you greatly."

"Thank you, Luan," Daniel responded. "We were very honored to be a part of this."

"It is so fortunate for you that the number of couples today was smaller than usual, otherwise, there would be no place for you."

Puzzled by the statement, Daniel asked what he meant. As the man explained, the other members of the team watched the archeologist's eyes get bigger. He stammered something to Luan, who nodded and left. Daniel then turned to his teammates.

"Jackson, you're looking rather alarmed," Cam said.

"Uhhh, yeah. It, um . . . it turns out that I wasn't quite right about what that ceremony was."

"I'm not going to like this, am I."

"No, probably not." Daniel shook his head. "I guess I should have suspected this. It's just that it bore virtually no resemblance to the original ceremony, so I didn't recognize it."

"Just spit it out, Jackson."

"Okay. We just got married."

Everyone just stood there, staring at him with stunned expressions. Cam was the first one to find his voice.

"It was a wedding?!" he exclaimed.

"Well, it might have actually been a type of handfasting ceremony, which, originally, was sort of a trial marriage, although I'm guessing that this one isn't meant to be temporary. Now I think I understand some of the things I didn't before because of the language barrier. Every couple that wants to get married must wait for this festival, when the gods will be asked to bless their union with all those things Luan said in the ceremony."

"Okay, but it's not legal, right? I mean it won't be considered a legal marriage on Earth."

"My marriage to Sha're was."

The pilot was on the verge of a coronary when Sam said, "No, Cam's right. It won't be legal on Earth. Back when the SG teams were being formed, the brass thought about what happened to Daniel and his unwitting marriage to Sha're and realized that, what with all the alien cultures we would be encountering out here, something like that might happen again. So, after consulting with some lawyers who specialize in this kind of thing, they put it in the regulations that no off-world marriage is legal on Earth if it is not performed with the full knowledge, understanding and consent of both parties, that is unless it has been consummated."

"Then we're safe," Cam said with a sigh of relief. "We didn't know that we were getting hitched, and we have no intention of consummating it."

Daniel's expression was one of embarrassment. "Ummm . . . yeah. About that last part."

The others all turned to him.

"I'm going to like this even less, aren't I," Cameron guessed.

"After the ceremony, every couple goes off to a bower just outside the village and, uh . . . celebrates their wedding night."

A look of dismay was on Sam's face. "Daniel, are you saying that we're expected to consummate the marriage here?"

"I'm afraid so. It is believed that doing it here, where we were blessed by the gods, will make it more likely that the woman will get pregnant on her wedding night."

"Okay, so we make up some story that it's against our religion to do that and hightail it outta here," Cam suggested.

Daniel shook his head. "That won't work. Luan isn't going to understand why we came here to get married and blessed, yet we won't carry out the rest of it." He looked around at his teammates. "Okay, going to the bowers doesn't mean that we have to do anything in there except sit around and wait for a couple of hours. Nobody will be watching us. Then we just thank Luan, tell him that we can't stay any longer, and go."

"And then watch Landry blow up like a volcano when we tell him that four of us accidentally got married while on a mission." Cam closed his eyes wearily. "Great, just great."

Just then, Luan returned. "Are you ready, my friends? The bowers await you."

"Yes, we are ready," Daniel replied, "Although I am sorry to tell you that we cannot stay the night. Matters on our homeworld demand that we leave before dark."

"Oh, what a terrible shame. But the blessings of the gods be upon you anyway. Come. I will take you to the bowers."

The man led them to a tiny meadow at the edge of town, where there was a row of little round huts constructed of interwoven branches covered by a mat of straw. No member of SG-1 could help but think about what was going on inside most of those huts at this very moment.

Daniel and Sam were taken to one of the empty bowers, Cam and Vala to the next one over.

"Blessings be upon you and your union this day," Luan said. He turned to Teal'c. "Honored guide, you are welcome to join the festivities in the village. There will be much drinking and feasting."

Daniel explained to Teal'c what the man had said, and the Jaffa politely inclined his head. Luan then left them.

"So, Teal'c," Cam said, "Are you going to go partying?"

"I am not."

"Well, you can't just stand around here while we're in those huts, supposedly making out like bunnies. That would look creepy."

"I will merely walk among the villagers and observe them. I will return here in two hours."

With that said, the Jaffa strode away.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

With a glance at the other couple, Daniel and Sam went into their bower, Cam and Vala doing likewise. Daniel looked about the single room. Not surprisingly, it was dominated by a large bed. There were also a couple of chairs and a table, which was presently bearing a bowl of fruit and a tray of cheese and bread. Behind a privacy curtain was a chamber pot.

Sam sat on the bed. "I am so not looking forward to telling General Landry about this."

Daniel settled beside her after putting the clay pot they planted with seeds on the table. "Yeah. That's not going to be pretty." He looked at her. "So, have you thought about the fact that, for as long as we're on this planet, we are technically married?"

Sam nodded. She then smiled in amusement. "Just a little over a month of courtship, and we're already married. Talk about a whirlwind romance!"

Daniel smiled as well. "Hey, it's more than I got with Sha're." His smile abruptly disappeared. "Oh, boy. I just thought of something. Jack's going to be arriving in Colorado the day after tomorrow, and you _know_ that Landry is going to tell him about this."

Sam covered her face with her hands. "Oh, no. I didn't think about that. Maybe we can take our leave the second we get back to Earth."

"I'm afraid that won't stop him. He'll just wait until the next time he sees us, which probably won't be long since he's moving back here."

Figuring that he might as well be comfortable as they waited, Daniel took off his boots and laid back on the bed. Sam did likewise. As she closed the distance between them and laid her head on his chest, a thought crept into his mind. If they made love right now their marriage would be made real in the eyes of the military back home. He wanted that so badly, not _this_ way, with a marriage ceremony that they didn't even know was one, but with a real ceremony on Earth, all their friends and family present. He wanted Sam to be his for the rest of his life, for him to be hers.

But that would not happen, _could_ not happen, until after he had heard the three words that he longed for with all his heart. How much longer would it be until he heard them? He had to believe that it would be soon.

* * *

Cam was slowly pacing back and forth. He dare not look at Vala, who was lying naked on the bed, having claimed that the bower was too warm and stuffy for clothing. The truth was that it wasn't a degree over seventy in there. Okay, maybe seventy-two now, it having gone up a degree or two since the removal of her clothing and the subsequent increase in his body temperature.

Cam knew what she was doing. She was teasing him. She was well aware that they could not have sex there since that would be consummating the marriage, and she was using that to have a little fun with him.

Vala stretched lazily, arching her back so that her breasts rose higher. She was wondering how far she could push it before Cameron ordered her to stop. A smile came to her lips. There was only one way to find out.

She began slowly running her hands up and down her body, making a little moaning sound. The sound drew Cam's eyes to her, and he saw what she was doing. He immediately turned away.

"Mmm, Cameron," Vala purred. "Come join me. Those clothes must be so confining."

Yes, confining was definitely the right word, at least in regards to his pants. He chastised the portion of his anatomy that was getting too excited and kept pacing.

Vala's voice dropped an octave. "I'm lonely for you, Cameron."

"Vala, stop it!" he finally snapped. "You know we can't do anything, so just cut it out."

Vala rolled onto her side. "We cannot have intercourse, but that does not mean we cannot do other things."

"Well, that's not going to happen either."

Cam went to a small slit high in the wall that acted as a window and glared out of it, arms crossed over his chest.

Suddenly realizing that he was upset, Vala got dressed and went to him. She hesitated a moment, then touched his arm.

"I'm sorry, Cameron. I should not have teased you like that."

"I just really wish you wouldn't do that. I'm only human, you know, and when you do stuff like that when you know we can't do anything about it, it just makes everything harder."

That made Vala feel bad. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again." She laid her head on his shoulder. "Forgive me?"

Cam let out a sigh and put his arm around her waist. "Yes, I forgive you." He looked at her. "I have to know something, Vala. Is that all I am to you? A sex partner? Because, if I am. . . ." His voice trailed off, and he turned back to the window, trying to hide how upset he was at the thought that Vala was only interested in him for sexual gratification.

Vala looked away. No, he was more to her than that, a _lot_ more. He had come to mean a great deal to her, more than she had believed he could. That thought scared her. She could not be in love with him; she just _couldn't_ be, but he was dear to her all the same. But it frightened her to admit that. That was why she never told Daniel that she loved him, that and the fact that he did not feel the same toward her. She knew that Cam did care about her, but did he feel as much for her as she did for him?

"Of course that's not all you are to me, silly," she said, making her voice sound light and casual, "but you do have to admit that the sex is great." She ran her fingertips down his arm. "I just can't get enough of you."

Cam felt his heart breaking a little. He had been hoping she would say something that would give him some indication that she felt at least a little of the same thing he did for her. But perhaps that was just too much to hope for.

Cam left the window and walked over to the table with its tray of food. "Want something to eat?" he asked, though the truth was that he had no appetite. He just needed to do something that would hide his feelings. He selected a couple of items, then returned to the window. Vala took some cheese and sat down at the table.

As he pretended to enjoy his food, Cam thought about his relationship with Vala. From the moment he figured out that he'd fallen in love with her, he had known that she might never come to feel the same way, but he now realized that, even as he was telling Daniel that very thing, down deep inside, a flame of hope had been burning brightly, a flame that was now dying.

So what was he going to do now? Could he remain in a relationship with a woman who would likely never return his love? Was the sex and her feelings of fondness for him enough? With every passing day, he loved her more, and with every passing day, his longing for her to love him back grew stronger.

Maybe this whole thing had been a mistake. Maybe he should have ended it after that first time and moved on. If he'd done that, he wouldn't have fallen in love with her.

"Cameron, what's wrong?"

The question interrupted the pilot's thoughts. He looked at Vala, afraid that she'd seen his thoughts on his face. "Nothing. Why do think something's wrong?"

"You haven't said anything in a while."

Cam quickly thought up an excuse. "I was trying to figure out a way that we can tell the general about this without him ripping our heads off."

"I am sure that he will understand. After all, it was unintentional."

Cam stared at her. "You can't possibly be talking about the same general I am. Landry will have a cow. The only question is the size of the cow." He had a thought. "You know, I'm thinking that we'd better delay telling him about us until he cools down. Telling him that on top of this would not be a smart move."

"You are probably right."

Cam returned his gaze out the window. There was a second reason for not telling Landry about the relationship, one that he would not reveal to Vala. He was beginning to wonder how much longer this relationship was going to last, how much longer he could give his heart to a woman who was not giving hers to him.

* * *

The five members of SG-1 sat around the briefing room table, four of them having a hard time meeting the eyes of the man sitting at the head of that table.

"So," Landry said, "there was some kind of celebration going on there?"

"Yes, sir," Daniel confirmed. "I believed that it was a combination of the three spring festivals and holidays that the ancient Celtic people celebrated."

"It was quite a party going on, sir," Cam said.

Landry nodded. "I assume that you didn't find out much of anything from them, such as how long they've been there or which Goa'uld brought them there."

"I don't think they knew, General," Daniel answered. "All their legends of the Stargate told them was that gods used to come through it, some of them evil. It sounds like any knowledge that they were brought to that planet by those evil gods has been lost."

"Did it appear that there was anything of value we might be interested in?"

Sam was the one to answer. "We didn't really get the chance to look. Everyone was focused on the celebrations."

"I see. So we might need to go back there when the celebrations are over."

"Ummm. . . ."

Landry's eyes focused directly upon Cam, who was the one to make the noise. "Colonel? Do you have something to add to this debriefing?"

"Um, well, as Jackson told you when we contacted you, the Stargate was not translating their language, so he was the only one who could understand anything they said, but even he couldn't understand it all."

"Only about half of it at first," Daniel confirmed.

Landry frowned. "Are you saying you misunderstood something that was said?"

"Um, sort of. It was more a case of missing some important, uh, details."

The general was now staring at him penetratingly. "What sort of details?"

Cam took over. "Well, you see, sir, when we got there, we were asked if we'd come there to be a part of the festival, so, in the interest of friendly relations, we told them that, sure, we'd love to join the party."

"I spoke to the village leader and got some details on the whole thing," Daniel explained, "but I didn't understand a lot of what he said."

The general's frown deepened. "I am starting to get a bad feeling about this, people."

Bracing himself, Daniel continued. "We were told that there was some kind of special ceremony taking place at noon, so we went to see what it was. There was a group of men and women arranged in a circle, looking like they were paired off into couples with single individuals standing behind them. Sam, Mitchell, Vala and I were put into the circle, with Teal'c behind us. Luan, the village leader, then gave a prayer, asking for all of us to be blessed."

Daniel explained about the seeds and other things. "He was partway around the circle when I realized that all the other couples were romantically involved. I figured that most of them were newlyweds or soon to be married, and the whole thing was a blessing for them to have a happy life together and produce lots of children."

"And he had mistakenly believed that you four were also newlyweds or betrothed and had come to be blessed as well?"

"That's what I thought, General."

Landry's eyes narrowed. "That's what you _thought_?"

"Um, yes, sir, but I was wrong, well, _partly_ wrong. We _were_ all being blessed, but. . . ."

"We were also being married," Vala boldly finished.

"You were what?!" General Landry bellowed, making the four human members of the team wince. Daniel could swear that he heard a few windows cracking.

"Sir, I assure you that, if we had known, we would never have taken part in the ceremony," Sam said.

"We'd have left that planet as fast as our legs would carry us," Cameron added.

Landry glowered at them. "So you're saying that all four of you," he pointed at Daniel, Sam, Cam and Vala, "got married in some alien Celtic ceremony while on a mission?"

"I'm afraid so, sir," Cam replied.

The general glared at Teal'c. "And what about you? Did you marry someone as well?"

"I did not."

"They thought that he was the one who got us together," Daniel explained. "Apparently, the person who brings a couple together is expected to be present to witness the culmination of his or her . . . handiwork."

Landry was amused at the thought that anyone could mistake Teal'c for a matchmaker, but the amusement lasted only seconds.

"Well, SG-1, you really topped yourself this time. I don't know how I'm going to explain this to the brass."

Sam spoke up. "Sir, we were completely unaware that we were getting married, and, according to regulations—"

Landry interrupted her. "I know all about the regulations, Colonel. That doesn't take away from the fact that not two but _four_ members of the SGC's premiere team managed to get themselves hitched while on a mission." His gaze narrowed, focusing upon Daniel and Sam. "I am assuming that you weren't stupid enough to actually consummate this marriage."

"Absolutely not, sir," Sam assured him.

"All right, then. All of you can consider those marriages null and void. Now, get out of my sight."

They hurried out of the briefing room and went to Daniel's office.

"I think it's going to take me a while to grow my ass back," Cam muttered.

"I suppose it could have been worse," Sam said. "He could have given us a formal reprimand."

"That wouldn't have been fair," Vala declared. "We did not do it on purpose."

"No, but the smart thing would have been not to say that we'd join the festivities," Cam told her. "That's my fault. If we'd just said that we were there to make friends, none of this would have happened."

Sam shook her head. "Cam, you couldn't have known what was going on."

"Nevertheless, I should have been smarter in what I said."

"Well, the marriages no longer exist," Daniel said, "so this isn't going to have any permanent effects. We'll probably be the brunt of a few jokes if this gets around base, but, hopefully, that will be the worst of it." He glanced at his watch, seeing that it was going on six p.m. "Well, I'm going to head on home. It's been a long day."

"Yeah, me too," said Cam. "I'll see all of you in the morning." Not glancing at Vala, he left the office and went straight to the locker room, where he changed into his civvies.

A while later, he was on the road. He stopped at a fast food place to pick up some dinner, then made a second stop for something else.

About halfway through the burger Cam lost his appetite. He stared at it for a moment, then got up from his kitchen table and threw the food away. He got his other purchase, a bottle of malt whiskey, and poured himself a stiff drink. The pilot took it to the living room, then spent the next fifteen minutes just staring at it.

As Cam thought about what happened in the bower, the earlier pain returned. He still didn't know what he was going to do. He loved Vala so much, and the thought of breaking off their relationship was like a knife in his gut, but was there any point in continuing something that probably had no real future? Could he be satisfied with what they had now, knowing that it would very likely never be more? He'd asked himself that question before, and, now, he knew the answer. No, he couldn't. He wanted more, _needed_ more. Oh, how things had change from when this all began.

As the minutes ticked by with his drink remaining untouched, Cam decided that he really shouldn't give up hope yet. If given more time, Vala might grow to love him. It had been less than five weeks, after all. It could still happen. He had never been a quitter, so he shouldn't just give up. He just prayed that what he was holding onto wasn't false hope.

Cam returned to the kitchen and poured the whiskey back into the bottle. He then headed off to his bedroom, knowing already that sleep would not be coming to him easily tonight.

* * *

Daniel heard the sound of a familiar voice.

"You know, Daniel. There are a lot of bad habits, but getting married without knowing it has got to be among the most bizarre. And, now, you've got Sam, Mitchell and Vala doing it, too."

Daniel sighed and looked up at Jack. "You act like I dragged them into it. There were misunderstandings and mistakes, and it happened. It's over and done with now. None of us are married anymore, thanks to the wisdom of the people who set up the program and its regulations."

"Yes, lucky for you, although, since you and Sam were already in a relationship, I suppose that unwittingly getting married wouldn't be such a disaster. I would have been quite perturbed, however, in not having been given the chance to throw you a bachelor party or be your best man."

"Who says you'd be my best man?"

"Daniel, you wound me. Who else would fill that esteemed position?"

"Maybe Teal'c, who, by the way, hasn't even smirked about this whole thing."

"Oh, but I bet he is on the inside."

When Jack then fell silent, Daniel stared at him suspiciously. "That's it? You're not going to say any more tasteless jokes or cutting barbs?"

"Nah. I figure that you'll get your fair share of those around here once word gets around. Beside, I understand that Hank nearly shattered the windows in the briefing room when he found out."

"Just about," Daniel confirmed, relieved that Jack wasn't going to be a bigger ass about this whole thing.

Jack sat down in the chair beside Daniel's desk. "I also heard about this other exciting news. The Anasazi, huh? I may not be into archeology, but even I've heard of them."

Daniel's eyes lit with excitement. "It's an amazing discovery. A team has already been sent there. I'm getting daily reports on what they've found."

"I'm surprised that you're not there, too."

"I thought about it, but the team will likely be there for months, and I wouldn't want to be away for that long."

A little smile came to Jack's lips. "Ah. So the love of a good woman has changed more than one thing in you, huh?" Something in Daniel's eyes made Jack's gaze sharpen. "What?"

Daniel shook his head. "Nothing."

"Don't give me that, Daniel. We've known each other for too long."

The archeologist looked away. "Sam just . . . hasn't said that yet."

"That she loves you?"

"I'm sure it'll come. We really haven't been a couple for that long. What we have together is fantastic. I couldn't be happier with it."

"Except to hear those words."

Daniel shrugged.

"You could just ask her, you know."

The younger man shook his head. "Absolutely not. I'm not going to push her like that."

"Are you afraid that she'll say no?"

Daniel fell silent.

Jack studied him a while longer. "All right, Daniel. I won't push you to ask her."

Eager to get the topic off him and Sam, Daniel asked, "When will you be starting your house-hunting?"

"Tomorrow."

"And when will you be seeing Sara?"

"Tonight."

"On a date?"

"No, just a dinner. Whether or not there will be any dates will all depend on how that dinner goes."

"Well, I hope that things go well, Jack. I really do."

"Thanks, Daniel. I appreciate that." The ex-general got to his feet. "Well, I'm going to go have a quick chat with Sam and visit Teal'c for a while, then I need to get to town and check into my hotel. I'll be pretty busy looking at places tomorrow, but maybe we can all get together for lunch."

"Sounds good."

They decided on where to meet, then Jack went down one level and made his way to Sam's lab.

"Hi," she greeted. "Have a good flight?"

"As good as a commercial flight can be." He stepped further into the room, an amused smile teasing his lips. "So, married and divorced all in the same day, huh? That's gotta be a record."

Sam blushed. "Jack."

"Yes, I know. No divorce needed. I still find it hilarious that you and Daniel got yourselves into that predicament, along with Mitchell and Vala. Nothing changes, I guess. SG-1 is still getting stuck in the most interesting dilemmas."

"A hazard of the job, I guess."

Jack noticed a pot sitting on the corner of the worktable. "What's that?"

"Oh, it was part of the wedding ceremony. Daniel and I planted seeds in it, and I'm curious to see what comes up."

Jack's searching gaze turned to her. "Curious, huh? Is that all?"

"Of course that's all. What else would there be to it?"

"Nothing, I guess." Jack had to wonder, though, if, perhaps subconsciously, Sam was saving the thing because it was a symbol of hers and Daniel's brief marriage.

Sam studied the ex-general. Though they had talked on the phone, this was the first time they had seen each other since the ending of their brief relationship, and Sam was surprised to feel a little uncomfortable.

"How are you doing, Jack?"

"Oh, can't complain, well, except for being bored. Working at Homeworld Security usually wasn't the most exciting of jobs, but it still kept me busy. I've been at loose ends lately. I'm thinking of taking up knitting."

Sam smiled. "I'm sure that there are hobbies you'd enjoy." She paused. "Or perhaps you should consider teaching."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "Teaching? Me? Sam, I think you're confusing me with someone with the brains for that."

"Jack, I know that no one can advance to the rank of major without a Master's degree, and unintelligent people don't usually manage to get one of those. I think that the cadets at the Academy would be lucky to have you teaching a course in tactics and strategy."

"Academy courses are taught by people still in the service, Sam."

"Yes, but, if you talked to the right people, I really think that they would consider making an exception. Perhaps it could be an elective course."

Jack frowned and looked away. Teaching at the Air Force Academy? It was something he'd never even thought of before, yet, now that he _was_ thinking about it, he had to admit that it had its appeal. One big advantage was that a bunch of young cadets wouldn't dare talk back to him or argue with him – unlike a certain archeologist always did.

"Well, that's not something to think about right now," he said. "I haven't even moved back here yet. I'll be house-hunting tomorrow, and I told Daniel that all of us could meet for lunch, if you have the time."

"Sure. That would be nice. Um . . . what about you and Sara?"

"We're having dinner tonight. And, no, it's not a date."

"I wasn't going to ask."

"No, but you were thinking about it."

Sam looked a little shamefaced. "Okay, you're right. I was."

Jack smiled. "Uh huh." The smile faded away. "I still don't know where this thing with Sara is going, Sam, if it's going anywhere at all." His gaze sharpened. "Speaking of relationships, I hear that things are going quite well with you and Daniel."

Sam smiled. "Yes, it's been terrific. I've never been happier."

"You thinking of moving in together?"

"We haven't even talked about that yet."

"But I'm betting that you have a drawer of your stuff at his place and a part of his closet. Probably vice versa as well. And you spend more of your nights together than apart."

Sam's face heated up again. "Um, yes."

"That's what I figured. You guys are on the fast track, Sam. That's as clear as day. Not that I disapprove. You've known each other for a very long time and been friends throughout all of it. You probably know just about everything about each other, and you've spent more hours in each other's company than some couples who've been married the same number of years have. I'm not trying to push you into anything, of course, but I'd bet my last dollar that you two will be cohabitating in not very long, whether it's just living together or with rings on your fingers."

Sam said nothing, feeling more than a little embarrassed by such words being spoken by a man with whom she used to be in love.

"You do know how much he loves you, right?"

"Yes, I know."

Jack waited for her to say that she loved Daniel, too, but it didn't come. Hmm. It looked like somebody was suffering a case of denial. Or perhaps it was just a touch of blindness. He had no doubt that she'd figure it out soon.

He mentioned to her the plans to get together for lunch tomorrow, and she was all for it.

"Well, I'd better get going," he then said. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sam nodded. "See you then."

Jack's next stop was Teal'c's quarters. His knock on the door was answered with an invitation to come in. He entered with a song on his lips.

"Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a find, catch me a catch." His recitation of the song from Fiddler on the Roof earned him a dark look from the Jaffa.

"Oh, come on, T," he said. "You have to admit that it's funny."

"I do not find it amusing, O'Neill."

"You really need to lighten up, buddy." Seeing that Teal'c intended to do no such thing, Jack sighed. "Well, at least you didn't get married, too. That's something to be grateful for. So, other than being mistaken as a matchmaker, anything else interesting going on with you lately? Any more news on that grandkid of yours?"

"I have not heard of any new developments, so I would assume that Kar'yn's pregnancy is progressing normally."

"That's good. Don't know yet if it's a boy or girl?"

"No."

"I hope it's a girl."

Teal'c stared at him. "Why is that, O"Neill?"

"Because I'm looking forward to seeing you go all gaga over a little baby granddaughter. Don't get me wrong. Fathers and grandfathers go gaga over baby boys, too, but, from what I've heard, the gaga factor is way higher with girls."

"I assure you, O'Neill, that I will not go gaga either way."

"Ah, you say that now, but just wait."

Jack talked with Teal'c a while longer, mentioning the lunch get-together, then said goodbye. As he was leaving the base, he was whistling a tune, his thoughts now on tonight's dinner with his ex-wife and what it might bring.

* * *

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c were already at the cafe they'd chose when Jack arrived. They were surprised to see that he wasn't alone.

"Sara!" Sam exclaimed. "We didn't expect you to come."

Jack's ex-wife smiled. "I decided to join Jack in his house-hunting."

Sam shared a quick glance with Daniel, who was holding back a smile. "Really?" she then said. "I guess it would be nicer to do something like that with company. I didn't have anyone with me when I went looking for a place."

Jack looked at the size of the booth, which was for four people. "Let's see if we can get a bigger booth." He called a waitress over, who found a larger booth for them. Everyone got settled, then decided on what they were going to order. Once the orders had been placed, they began to chat.

"It has been so long since I met all of you," Sara said to Daniel, Sam and Teal'c. "Not since that . . . that incident."

All the others looked at each other briefly, thinking back to when the crystal entity impersonated Jack, then took on the form of his and Sara's dead son. After it was all over, it was necessary for Jack to tell Sara something to explain what she saw. He couldn't tell her everything, but she did know now that humans were not alone in the galaxy. She was not, however, aware that not everyone sitting at that table wasn't human.

Sara turned her gaze fully upon Sam and Daniel. "Jack tells me that you're in a relationship now."

Daniel smiled. "Yes, not for all that long, though, just a few weeks."

"And you're still working together?"

"That's right," Sam replied.

"My. That's an awful lot of time to spend in each other's company. A lot of couples I know would go nuts being around each other so many hours of the day and night."

Daniel gazed at the woman he loved. "Sam and I have always enjoyed being in each other's company, even when we were just friends."

"Yeah, it's downright freaky how well they get along," Jack remarked. "I've never seen them argue, not once."

"We have argued, Jack, and we've had plenty of disagreements."

"Uh huh. And how long did you stay mad at each other?"

"Not very long," Sam confessed.

"I rest my case." He smiled. "Although, once you start living together, I can guarantee that there will be more arguments. That's always the way it is."

"Jack," Sara said in disapproval, giving his arm a light slap. "What a thing to say."

"Well, it's true."

"So," Daniel said brightly, wanting to change the subject in a hurry, "any luck with the house-hunting?"

"Not much yet," Jack replied, "but then, we haven't had the chance to see very many. We might have more luck this afternoon."

Neither Daniel nor Sam failed to notice that he'd included Sara in that statement.

The rest of the conversation was light and enjoyable. Sara even managed to get Teal'c to contribute more than a word here and there.

Daniel looked at his watch. "Well, we all need to get back to the base."

"It was great to see you again, Sara," Sam said.

"You, too. We'll have to do this again one of these days."

"That would be fun."

The three members of SG-1 wished the other two people goodbye and left. Jack and Sara watched them leave, then the ex-general turned to his former wife.

"Well?" he inquired.

"That man is totally, head over heels in love with her. The way he looks at her, it's like she's his entire universe."

"Yep."

Sara paused. "And she's in love with him, too."

"That's what I said. Too bad _she_ hasn't seen it yet."

"Give her time, Jack. It took me three months to come to the realization that I was in love with you, and it took you even longer. She'll get there."

Jack nodded slightly. He then smiled. "So, back to the house-hunting?"

"I'm ready. Let the hunt resume."

Before starting the car, Jack said, "Um, I was thinking that we could get together again for dinner tonight."

"Sure. That would be great."

He looked at her. "At a nicer restaurant perhaps?"

Sara met his eyes. "I'd like that, Jack."

"You would?"

She smiled. "Yes, I would."

Jack nodded, a little smile on his face.

As he started the car, the smile grew into a grin.


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Vala frowned down at her lunch, spearing at the food with her fork and dragging it around her plate. During the week that had passed since they got back from their last mission, she and Cam had hardly spent any time together. At the base he always seemed to be busy, and the two times she mentioned coming over to his place after work he said that he was tired or had things to take care of. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that he was avoiding her. They didn't even spend his days off together, Cam going off out of state to visit a friend of his from the Academy who'd been in a serious car accident.

She missed him, missed sharing meals with him every day, missed hanging around with him, sneaking kisses when no one would see. She missed the way he smiled at her. She hadn't seen a single smile since they got back from the mission.

Vala had to wonder if the reason for Cam's attitude was what had been going on at the SGC. The base grapevine had gotten hold of the news about the wedding, and all five members of SG-1 were finding themselves the brunt of a lot of jokes and teasing. Yes, all five. A lot of people considered the idea that Teal'c had been mistaken for a matchmaker to be hilarious. Those people, however, were bright enough not to say anything in the presences of the Jaffa. The same was not the case when it came to the other members of the team and their unintentional nuptials.

The remarks didn't really bother Vala, but she knew that they did bother Cam, who was blaming himself for them being in that situation in the first place. She bet that Daniel was blaming himself as well since he was the one who failed to understand everything Luan said.

Whatever the reason for what was going on with Cameron, she wasn't going to let him get away with it for much longer. He would be off again this weekend, and she intended to go to his place with or without an invitation.

Unbeknownst to Vala, the subject of her thoughts was, at that moment, thinking about her.

Cam let out a sigh and gave up trying to read the report sitting before him after going over the same paragraph for the fifth time. Thoughts about Vala kept getting in the way. He was avoiding her. There were no ifs, ands or butts about it. The reason for the avoidance was that he wasn't sure if he could hide from her his feelings and doubts about their relationship. He was surprised that she hadn't confronted him yet. It was only a matter of time before she did.

Last Friday, he had been trying to figure out how he could prevent Vala from coming over to his place on Saturday when he got a call from the wife of one of his Academy buddies, telling him that Kent had been in a bad car wreck. He was going to be all right but would have to go through physical therapy. Normally, Cam might have just chosen to talk to Kent on the phone, but he realized that this could solve his problem with Vala, so he made hasty arrangements to catch a flight out on Saturday morning and spent that day and most of Sunday with his friend.

Cam knew that he wasn't being fair to Vala. She deserved some kind of explanation. The problem was that any explanation would have to include the fact that he was in love with her, and he was afraid of what that revelation would result in, what Vala would say. Then again, what was the point in continuing this relationship if he couldn't face spending any time alone with her?

Cam's gaze went to the pot sitting off in a corner, from which tiny sprouts had already emerged. He had been intending to give the pot to Bill Lee so that the scientist could study the plants sprouting from the seeds he and Vala planted, but he just couldn't quite get himself to part with it. Quite frankly, he shouldn't want anything to do with it since it was a constant reminder of the whole fiasco on their last mission. So why was he hanging onto it? Maybe because, in a weird way, he thought of it as a symbol of his feelings for Vala. It had been given to them in a ceremony that was supposed to join them for life, and, although he wasn't anywhere near ready for thoughts about going down the aisle with Vala, he did know that he wanted to spend his life with her.

Those thoughts had him going right back to his earlier ones. He needed to find his courage and talk to her. That's all there was to it. This weekend would be good. He could take her to his place and talk it all out. Then it would be over and done with, and he'd know if their relationship had a future or if it was time to end it and try to move on.

When Sam stopped by Cam's office a while later, she could tell right away that something was bothering him. When she asked him what was wrong, he stared at her for a moment, then asked her to shut the door. After she did so, she took a seat.

"It's about me and Vala," he said. "I'm beginning to wonder if this thing between us has any real future."

Surprised, Sam studied him closely. "Why do you say that?"

He told her about the incident in the bower, leaving out the details of Vala's sexual advances and the fact that she was naked.

"I've been in love before, but I have never felt the way I do for her," he confessed. "But, now, I have to wonder what kind of future we can have if I'm the only one who feels this way. I know it's only been a few weeks and I should give her more time, but. . . ."

"You're wondering if more time will make a difference."

"Yeah."

Sam didn't say anything for a moment. "Cam, you already know that I had some doubts about your relationship with Vala. I was worried that you'd get hurt, but, now, I think I need to say something else. Don't give up too soon. Daniel believed that he and I would never have a relationship and almost went off to Atlantis forever because of that. We came so close to never discovering what we could have together. I know that it's probably something you're afraid to do, but I think you need to talk to Vala, let her know how you feel."

"I know. I'm planning on doing that this weekend." He managed a smile. "Wish me luck?"

"You bet."

Cam lost the smile. "So what was the real reason for your visit?"

"It was about tomorrow's mission. At the briefing I think we need to discuss how we're going to approach this one. The reaction of the native population to the MALP wasn't exactly promising." She was referring to the fact that several men with spears had attacked the thing, jabbing at it with spears a couple of times before backing off and just watching it. "If it wasn't for that strong energy reading from the area, I'd really think twice about going there."

"I guess we'll just have to be careful. It's not like it'll be the first time that we've gone into a potentially dangerous situation. Let's just hope that, this time, the translator works." Changing the subject, Cam then said, "So, I understand that General O'Neill may have found a house."

Sam smiled and nodded. "He put in an offer and should be hearing back later this afternoon. He was planning on going back to D.C. in the morning, but he might have to stay another day if there's a counter offer."

Cam was about to ask her a question when his phone rang. The caller was someone who needed to get some information from the pilot, so Sam told him that she'd see him later and left the office. As she closed the door behind her, she sent out a silent wish that his relationship with Vala would turn out well.

* * *

Daniel had just finished eating dinner when the doorbell rang. He opened the door to find Jack on the other side. He invited the man in.

"I've got some good news," Jack said. "The owners accepted my offer on the house."

"Congratulations. I bet you're happy."

"Yeah, it's gonna be nice to get back here. Too many politicians in D.C."

Daniel nodded. "So, what did you _really_ come over here to talk about?"

"Giving you the good news about the house isn't good enough?"

"You could have told me that over the phone."

Jack went over to the recliner and sat down. Daniel took a seat on the couch and waited.

"I spent last night at Sara's," Jack announced.

Daniel blinked. "Oh. You mean. . . ."

"Yeah. I definitely wasn't planning on that happening, not this soon, but we were sitting there on her couch, sharing a glass of wine, and it felt just like it used to, before Charlie died. It felt good . . . great, actually."

"And this morning?"

"That felt good, too. Neither of us regrets what happened."

"I'm glad. You've been alone for a long time, Jack."

"I just hope that I don't screw things up again." Jack stared into Daniel's eyes. "There's something I need to say to you. It's about the thing between me and Sam." He watched Daniel's gaze drop to the floor. "It wasn't until I woke up this morning with Sara that I realized something. I never really stopped loving her. All these years, I still had those feelings for her. I'm not saying that I didn't love Sam, but what I felt for her was not the same as what I felt for Sara when we were together. Back when things were good between us, if I'd had to give up my career to keep her, I would have."

Daniel understood what he was saying. "But you were never willing to retire to be with Sam."

"No. Oh, I told myself that it was because I felt an obligation to protect Earth from the Goa'uld, but, subconsciously, I knew different. Kerry wondered why I didn't leave the service and command the SGC as a civilian. It could have been done. Then I could have had a relationship with Sam. But I chose not to do that. When the Goa'uld stopped being a threat, I could have retired, but, instead, I accepted the command of Homeworld Security even though it would mean I'd rarely see Sam. All along, something in here," he tapped the side of his head, "was telling me that Sam wasn't the one for me, but I didn't start listening until after I moved to D.C. and began to realize that my feelings for her were no longer as strong as they were in the beginning. The thing is that I'm not the only one who had the option if leaving the service. Sam could have, too, and continued to work at the SGC and on SG-1 as a civilian. So why didn't she? I think it's because something inside her was telling her the same thing."

Jack leaned forward in his seat. "The reason I'm telling you this is that I know that, somewhere in that head of yours, you can't help but think about the fact that Sam loved me first, and that might be causing some doubts about whether she can feel that way about you. Well, I want you to get those doubts out of your mind. The two of you have what she and I could never have had, not in this universe. I am one hundred percent positive of that. I may have been wrong about a lot of things in my life, but I'm not wrong about that."

Daniel finally lifted his eyes to Jack's. "Thanks."

The older man nodded. He then got to his feet. "Well, I have an early flight back to D.C. in the morning, so I'd better get some shuteye."

Daniel stood as well. "When will you be back?"

"Not too long. I'll give you a call when I know exactly when I'm coming back."

The two men said goodbye, then Jack left the apartment and went down to his car. As he drove away, a satisfied smile came to his lips, the thought in his mind that everything was going to turn out just fine.

* * *

Landry and the five members of SG-1 sat around the briefing table, discussing the morning's mission.

"Based upon the natives' aggressive response to the MALP, I'd definitely say that we need to watch our step," Cam was saying.

"It's possible that they were just afraid of something they didn't understand," Daniel responded. "If they have no technology of their own, the MALP could have been a pretty frightening sight. Their response may have been nothing more than an attempt to protect their people from what they believed was a threat."

"That's true," Sam said, "but that doesn't mean they won't react the same way to us."

Landry looked back and forth between her and Cam. "Do you believe that it would be best to have another team as backup."

"I have been thinking about it," the pilot replied.

Daniel spoke again. "The problem with that is that, if these people do feel threatened by anyone or anything coming through the gate, the larger the size of the party, the stronger those feelings will be. Five people might not feel so threatening, but almost twice that many could be a different story."

Sam nodded. "Daniel's right about that."

"Perhaps there is another option," Teal'c said.

"Which is?" Landry asked.

"SG-1 will go through the Stargate alone, but you will maintain an open wormhole until we believe that there is no danger. A second team will remain standing by in the gate room. If we are attacked, we can radio for help."

Cam liked that idea. "That'll work."

Landry agreed. "All right. That's what we'll do, then. I'll have SG-3 waiting in the gate room. I will also keep the MALP transmitting a video feed so that we can see what's happening."

They discussed the mission for a few minutes longer, then SG-1 went off to get ready. A while later, they stood in the gate room, waiting for the Stargate to dial up. Once the wormhole connected, they then waited for the okay to go through.

Up in the control room, Landry ordered the technician to turn on the MALP's camera. A picture came on the screen showing a grassy meadow. Not far away was a small village with buildings made of wood and stone. Within a matter of moments, a group of nine men appeared, armed with spears and bows. They walked forward a few paces, then stopped and just stared.

"SG-1, we've got nine armed men about fifty feet from the gate," he announced to the waiting team. "They are not presently showing any hostility. It's your call on whether or not to go through."

Cam looked at his teammates. "I'm game of you are." When the others said that they were, too, the leader of SG-1 looked up at the general. "We're going through, General." He then looked at SG-3. "Be ready to bail us out if we get into hot water, guys."

The teammates strode forward and entered the wormhole. They came out the other side alert and prepared for hostilities. At the sight of them coming through, the nine men lifted their weapons, but did not fire. SG-1 cautiously descended the dais and came to a stop.

"Jackson," Cam said, "you're on."

Daniel took a step forward, opening his mouth to speak. He never got the chance to utter a word.

One of the men, his finger pointing straight at Teal'c, cried, "An evil one!" And then all hell broke loose. SG-1 ducked for cover as half a dozen arrows were launched at them. They made it to the shelter of the Stargate and began firing back, their shots aimed at the ground before the natives.

"We're under attack!" Cam yelled into his radio. "Do not send SG-3 through! Repeat. Do not send SG-3 through! They'll be hit the second they come through the gate."

Back at Stargate Command, Landry was watching the video feed of the natives and the arrows flying through the air. The nine men had been joined by six more. Mitchell was right. Sending SG-3 through would be suicide.

"Colonel, what's your situation?" he asked SG-1's leader.

"We're taking shelter behind the gate, sir, but we can't stay here for long. We could take the natives out, but we're reluctant to do so. They think we're Goa'uld, sir. They recognized Teal'c as a Jaffa."

"I'm open to suggestions, Colonel."

Sam ducked further down as an arrow passed right over her head. She then got on the radio. "Sir, if you could get a Goa'uld shock grenade through the gate to us, we could use it to knock out the natives. It'll be risky, but it's the only thing I can think of."

"Consider it done." Landry gave the command for someone to get one of the grenades. He then told SG-3 to prepare themselves for a rush through the gate on his order. They ascended the ramp to within a few feet of the event horizon.

It wasn't long before an airman was running into the gate room with one of the Goa'uld grenades. He hurried up the ramp and handed it to Reynolds.

"We've got the grenade and are ready to send it through," Landry told SG-1.

Sam responded. "Okay. Have the person roll it through so that it'll come out of the gate at an angle. We're hoping that it'll roll off the dais and into the grass close enough that we can grab it. Don't throw it. It may go too far."

Landry told SG-3's leader what to do. Reynolds took up a position at the left side of the gate and readied himself to send the grenade through. He looked up toward the control room and nodded.

"It's coming through now, SG-1," Landry said, then told Reynolds to send the grenade through.

Seconds later, the grenade rolled out of the open Stargate, bounced down the first two steps, then fell off the dais to land about seven feet from Daniel's position.

"Not quite as close as I was hoping," he remarked.

"I'll get it," Cam said.

"No, I'm in position. I'll get it. I'll make a dive for it, and you guys haul me back in."

"SG-1. Have you got the grenade?" asked Landry's voice over the radio.

"Working on it, sir," Cameron replied.

Daniel met Sam's eyes and saw her fear for him.

"Please be careful, Daniel," she said.

He reached out and gave her hand a squeeze, then he turned to his two male team members. "Grab my ankles and pull me back in as soon as I've got the grenade."

Cam nodded sharply. "You got it."

Daniel got up into a crouch and prepared himself. "Cover me, Sam," he said. She responded by opening fire upon the natives, her shots hitting the ground so close to the mens' feet that it forced them back. Daniel threw himself forward. His body hit the ground, his outstretched hand reaching for the grenade. His fingers curled around it. In the next instant, he was being dragged backwards across the ground as arrows flew by. He was almost behind the shelter of the dais when a sharp pain in his arm told him that he'd been hit. More arrows aimed at him struck harmlessly against the stone as he was pulled the remaining feet to safety.

Sam examined the wound on his forearm, relieved to see that it was just a shallow cut.

"All right. Now what?" Daniel asked. "Somebody's going to have to break cover and throw that thing."

"I will do it," Teal'c said.

"No way, Teal'c," Cam responded. "I am the team leader, so I'm doing it." He looked at Vala and saw the same fear in her eyes as had been in Sam's a few moments ago.

"Cameron?" she said, the fear also in her voice.

"I'll be fine, Vala," he assured her. He filled Landry in on what he was about to do.

"I'm sending SG-3 through as soon as that grenade detonates, Colonel," the general told him. "Good luck."

"Thank you, sir."

Vala stared at Cameron, fear a tight knot in her belly. She didn't want him to do this. Why wouldn't he let Teal'c do it? Why did he have to be the hero?

Cam shared a look with his other teammates. "Ready?"

Daniel, Sam and Teal'c nodded, the first two wishing him good luck. He then looked at Vala again. She wanted to say something, _anything_, but she couldn't get any words out. She wanted to grab his hand, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to let go. And so she just sat there staring at him as he turned away and faced the natives, who, for the moment, had stopped firing. She watched as he lifted into a crouch, the shock grenade in his hand. Her body tensed as his did, her heart beating fast and hard in her chest.

With an explosion of movement, Cam jumped to his feet, his arm already pulling back for his throw. The arm swung forward, and the grenade went sailing through the air. As soon as it left his hand, Cam dived back toward the ground. He'd almost made it when the arrow hit.

"Cameron!" Vala screamed as he fell to the ground and lay still. There were already tears falling down her face as Daniel and Teal'c pulled his body back behind the Stargate. Sam felt for a pulse in Cam's neck and was relieved to find one. She stared at the arrow protruding from his chest and the amount of blood coming from the wound, her gut clenching. She knew that it was bad. She quickly packed the wound, being careful not to jar the arrow.

The members of SG-3, who had come through as soon as Landry saw the grenade detonate in the midst of the natives, joined SG-1. Reynolds let out a curse upon seeing the arrow in the chest of his fellow SG team leader. He radioed to Landry and told the general to get a medical team to the gate room. Seconds later, the wormhole disconnected.

"What of the natives?" Teal'c asked.

"Looks like they're down for the count," Reynolds replied, "but we need to get back through that gate before more show up." He looked back down at Cam. "How bad is it?"

"Bad," Sam answered. Her gaze went to Vala, as did Daniel's. Cam's hand was clutched in both of hers, her tear-wet face pale with terror and anguish. The two scientists then looked at each other, knowing that there was now no doubt about Vala's feelings for Cam. They both prayed that she wasn't about to lose him.

As quickly as possible, Teal'c carefully gathered the unconscious pilot into his arms and lifted him up. The way Cam hung there so limp and still made Vala feel like a part of her was dying.

A member of SG-3 dialed out as two of his teammates covered him. As soon as the gate connected, everyone else came out from behind it. Teal'c was just stepping onto the dais when there was a shout in the distance. The people from the SGC turned and saw more armed natives rushing up to the unconscious ones.

"Go! Go!" Reynolds yelled. They all dashed up the steps and ran through the gate. Arrows followed them out the other side.

"Close the iris!" Sam yelled as the last person came through. Neither she nor any of her teammates paid any attention as her command was followed. All of their eyes were on the unconscious man in Teal'c's arms. A medical team had hurried into the gate room, and Teal'c gently laid Cam on the gurney. Carolyn Lam began examining him. His chest was drenched in blood, more soaking his shirt even as she watched. She feared that his heart or a major artery or vein had been hit.

"We need to get him to surgery stat!" she yelled, knowing that there was no time to wait for x-rays. They needed to stop that bleeding now.

The medical team rushed out of the gate room with Cam, the man's teammates on their heels. There was not enough room for SG-1 in the elevator, so they took the stairs, barely noticing the seven-flight climb. Cam was being rushed into surgery as they entered the infirmary. The four of them went to the place that had been designated as the waiting area. Landry joined them there and asked to be filled in. Sam told him what happened.

"All right. I'll postpone the debriefing until after Colonel Mitchell is out of surgery," he said. He looked around at all the worried faces. "Mitchell is a strong man. He's had to be to survive what he has. If anyone can get through this, he can."

After Landry had left, Daniel turned to the dark-haired woman beside him. "Vala?"

"I'm all right," she insisted, though she really didn't look like she was. "Cameron's going to be fine. He _has_ to be."

The waiting began. Guessing that Cam's teammates wouldn't be willing to leave the infirmary to take care of it themselves, Landry had sent someone to collect their vests and other gear. Their post-mission exams were taken care of, and Daniel's wound was cleaned and bandaged.

After returning to the waiting area, he spent a lot of time watching Vala, who went from pacing, to sitting in a chair hugging herself, then back to pacing. He was worried, both for Cam and for her. If the pilot died, what would it do to her? He hoped that he wouldn't have to find out.

It was a very long time before the four people saw Carolyn come out.

"How is he?" Sam asked.

"He's alive, though we almost lost him on the table. I'm afraid, though, that he is not out of the woods yet. The arrowhead damaged the inferior vena cava, which is the vein that brings blood into the heart from the lower body. If it had struck just a little to the right, the vein would have been severed, and he'd have bled out within seconds. As it is, he lost a lot of blood. By the time we got him into surgery, he was in stage four hypovolemic shock, which means that he lost over forty percent of his blood volume."

Vala's terror had returned, clutching like a cold fist around her heart. "What can you do?"

"We repaired the damage and are replacing the blood he lost. Other than that, there's not much we can do except wait."

Sam was also scared. "How long before you know if he'll be all right?"

"The first twenty-four hours will be the most critical. If he makes it through those without any crises or complications, I'll be much more positive. The one thing we can be thankful for is that there is no sign that the severe blood loss caused brain damage, although I am concerned about possible damage to his kidneys."

"Maybe we could get hold of a healing device," Daniel suggested. "Vala has a lot of experience using them."

"It is possible that my fellow Jaffa have access to one," Teal'c said.

"And we can put in a call to the Tok'ra, too."

Carolyn nodded. "It's worth a try." She looked about the four people. "We're going to do everything in our power to keep him with us. All of you need to get cleaned up. If there are any changes in his condition, I will contact you immediately."

After showering and changing, the four members of SG-1 took care of the debriefing. They also talked to Landry about contacting the Tok'ra and Jaffa, which he agreed to do.

The moment the debriefing was over, Vala rushed out of the room, her teammates knowing that she was going back to the infirmary. An hour later, Daniel did likewise. He found the pilot in a bed in the ICU, behind a partially drawn curtain. Vala was sitting in a chair beside him. One of her hands was stroking his face. The other was holding his right hand pressed against her cheek, which was wet with tears. The look on her face tore at Daniel's heart.

Suddenly becoming aware of his presence, Vala straightened and hastily wiped her face dry. He came up to her.

"There's nothing wrong with showing your emotions, Vala," he told her gently. He found another chair and set it beside hers.

Vala did not look at him. "I'm just very worried."

"I know." Daniel laid his hand over hers, which was now clenched into a fist on her thigh. She loosened the fist and wrapped her fingers around his. The contact succeeded in crumbling Vala's attempt to rebuild her walls, and she began to cry again.

"He means a great deal to me," she whispered, her eyes back on Cam. "If he dies. . . ."

Daniel tightened his grasp on her hand. "Mitchell is a fighter, Vala. This isn't the first time that he's been in a situation like this. Did you ever hear the story of how he became the leader of SG-1?"

Vala shook her head, at last looking at Daniel. He told her about Anubis' attack on Earth and how Mitchell saved SG-1 and the mission by shooting down the Al'Kesh that was heading right for their ship.

"His ship was already badly damaged, and he should have withdrawn from the battle, but when he saw that we were in trouble, he chose to help us instead. His ship went down, and he was severely injured in the crash, so badly that none of the doctors thought he was going to make it. Though he survived, his chances of ever walking again were next to nil. When he was in the hospital and no one was sure he was going to be all right, Jack promised him that, if he got better, he could have his choice of jobs in the program. As it turned out, when he resumed active duty, the position of SG-1's leader was available because Sam had transferred to R&D." Daniel gave Vala a look of encouragement. "He's already beaten the odds once, Vala. He can do it again."

She laid her other hand over his. "Thank you. That makes me feel better."

Daniel nodded and stood. "I'll let you be alone with him." He left the infirmary and went to Sam's lab. The astrophysicist was attempting to write her mission report but was not having much luck.

"I just got back from the ICU," he told her.

"How's Cam?"

"About the same, I think. Vala was with him. She's not doing so well."

Sam sighed. "I didn't tell you this, but Cam talked to me yesterday about his relationship with her. He was having major doubts about its future." She told Daniel what Cam revealed to her. "If she's in love with him, which she obviously is, why did she act that way? Why didn't she admit that she really cares about him?"

"Because she was afraid."

Sam looked at him. "Afraid?"

"I know how she felt, Sam. All those years that I was in love with you, I was afraid to tell you. I knew that you didn't feel the same, and I was afraid of how you'd react. Vala's gone through a lot bad stuff when it comes to relationships, not the least of which was the situation with her father. I think that, because of that, she's afraid to let anyone see into her heart."

"I guess I can understand that. It just tears me up to think that Cam might die never knowing that she feels the same way about him as he does about her."

* * *

Vala looked up at the clock. Eight p.m. It felt like it should be later. It felt like she had been sitting there for days, waiting to see if the man she cared so much about was going to live or die.

Sam and Daniel had visited a while ago and stayed for several minutes, asking if she wanted to go have dinner with them in the commissary. She wasn't hungry, so she declined the invitation. Teal'c had come around an hour earlier. He did not stay long, but his quiet words of confidence and encouragement made Vala feel better.

A small sound made Vala turn. Carolyn was standing just inside the curtain, looking at her. The doctor went over to the monitors and studied the readouts, frowning slightly.

"What's wrong?" Vala asked anxiously.

"His oxygen saturation level is down a bit."

"Is that bad?"

"It's only down a little, Vala. It's bound to fluctuate some. I'm not going to get concerned unless it goes down quite a bit further." Carolyn's eyes returned to Vala. "Have you eaten anything?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Vala, you need to eat. As far as I know, you had no lunch either."

"I just don't want to leave him alone."

Carolyn stared at her for a long, uncomfortable moment. "The two of you are in a relationship, aren't you. I began to suspect it after seeing how badly the attack on you affected Cameron, but, now, I'm sure of it."

Vala sighed. "Yes."

"For how long?"

"Almost six weeks."

"Who else knows?"

"The rest of our team. We were planning on telling General Landry soon." Vala looked at the doctor pleadingly. "Please don't tell him."

"I won't, Vala, although you should have a long time ago."

"At first, we were not sure if our relationship was going to go anywhere, and then I was afraid that General Landry would remove me from SG-1."

Carolyn looked at the other woman for a while longer. "I want you to go get some dinner."

"But—"

"No 'buts'. You won't be gone for all that long. If anything happens while you are, I'll contact you right away."

Knowing that she wasn't going to get out of it, Vala agreed. She went to the commissary and picked food that would take the least amount of time to eat, then she ate it so fast that she barely had time to taste it. Taking a cup of tea with her, she returned to the ICU and Cam's bedside.

More hours crawled by. Finally, Vala began to grow sleepy. She fought it, not wanting to go off to bed, but her eyelids kept drooping. Thinking that perhaps she could just take a little nap, she leaned forward in her chair, rested crossed arms on the mattress, and laid her head upon them. A few minutes later, she was asleep, the sound of Cam's slow breathing in her ears.

* * *

No one on SG-1 slept well that night, Daniel and Sam both remaining on base in case there was an emergency with Cam. As for Vala, she never left the infirmary at all, that is until seven a.m., when Carolyn ordered her to go change and get some breakfast.

The Jaffa had responded to the request for a healing device with the news that they did not have one immediately available but might be able to get their hands on one. No reply had come from the Tok'ra at all.

When the end of the critical first twenty-four hours arrived with an improvement in Cam's condition, Vala's fear finally eased enough that she left him for a while to go stretch her legs. Her walk ended at her quarters, where she sat on the bed. Her mind went back to the first time she and Cam made love, right there in that very spot. She recalled what she had been thinking back then, that this new relationship with him was nothing serious. So much had changed in the weeks since then.

After freshening her makeup, Vala returned to the ICU.

"You know, Cameron," she said after she'd been there a few minutes. "It is getting rather boring just sitting here, watching you sleep. The least you could do is wake up and talk with me." When he neither moved nor made a sound, Vala sighed, her attempt to brighten her own mood failing. She rested her hand on his. "You need to be all right, Cameron. I have . . . come to care about you a great deal. Daniel, Samantha and Teal'c care as well."

With another sigh, Vala closed her eyes, her head bowing. A slight movement of the hand beneath hers made her eyes fly open, her head jerking up. She stared at his face, nearly holding her breath, praying for his eyes to open. It was several seconds later when her prayer was answered. Slowly, Cam's eyes blinked open, then gazed in incomprehension at the ceiling.

"Cameron?" Vala said, her voice trembling.

Cam's gaze turned to her, his eyes a bit unfocused.

"Vala?" he whispered weakly after a few seconds.

The sound of his voice made Vala burst into tears. She grasped his hand in both of hers.

"Yes, I'm here, Cameron. You are going to be all right."

Cam's eyelids slid closed as sleep reclaimed him. Vala excitedly ran out into the main ward and told Carolyn about his brief moment of consciousness. As the doctor went to check on him, Vala called Daniel to tell him what happened. He, in turn, contacted Sam and Teal'c. The three of them reached the infirmary just as Carolyn finished the examination.

"So?" Daniel asked the doctor.

"There is a marked improvement in his vitals. He is still in serious condition, but I think he's past the danger point." She smiled. "It looks like he's going to be all right."

The four members of SG-1 all relaxed. Vala felt like crying again, but, this time, tears of joy.

Carolyn interrupted the good feelings. "I must tell all of you that his recovery will not be quick. This kind of injury takes a long time to fully recover from."

"There is a good chance that the Jaffa will get hold of a healing device," Daniel responded. "Then he won't have to deal with that."

"And we won't have to be without a member of our team," Sam added.

She and her three teammates went to see Cam, who was still asleep.

A little smile came to Sam's lips. "You know, if he isn't careful, he's going to beat Daniel's record for near death experiences."

"Oh, I don't know about that," the archeologist said. "He's been here for over two years. I'd already died once before I was even a member of the team, and, just in my first year, I died a second time and suffered a potentially fatal injury. I followed that up in the second year with a near-fatal accident and a third death, if you count cardiac arrest while in someone else's body. I won't bother going into all the deaths and near deaths that came after that."

Sam nodded. "You're right. He's not even close. Your record is safe."

"I am so pleased."

The two of them shot each other a smile.

Daniel looked at Vala. "How are _you_ doing?"

"Much better. I am so relieved."

"Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"Neither have I," Sam said.

"Nor I," said Teal'c.

Daniel jerked his head toward the exit. "Come on, then. Let's all get something to eat."

The meal, while not exactly enjoyable, was the most relaxed one any of them had had since yesterday morning. Afterwards, Vala returned to Cam's bedside, still feeling the need to be near him. She'd nearly lost him, and it had really scared her. She didn't want to think about what it would have been like if he had died.

Carolyn had brought some magazines yesterday for Vala to read, but she hadn't been in the mood until now. She was browsing through a six-month-old copy of Reader's Digest when a sound drew her attention to the bed. She watched in breathless anticipation as Cam's eyes opened. This time, they looked clear and fully aware.

"Hi," she said, sternly telling herself that she was not going to cry.

Cam's hand moved to his chest, which was swathed in bandages. "I guess I didn't quite move fast enough, huh."

"Not quite." _'Dammit! I am not going to cry. I am not going to cry!'_

"How bad was it?"

"You, um, came pretty close."

Cam looked closely at Vala, who was now staring at the bedcovers. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," the woman instantly replied. It was quite clear to the pilot that she was lying.

"I don't believe you." he told her. "You're acting like you're upset about something."

"I was just a little . . . concerned about you. You were very badly injured, and Doctor Lam was not sure if you would survive."

Cam stared at Vala, having heard the slightest of tremors in her voice. She was still refusing to meet his eyes, but what he could see of her face was telling him that she was struggling not to cry.

Just then, a memory came to him of waking up and seeing Vala gazing at him with tears running down her face.

Vala had cried for him. She had feared he was going to die and cried for him, was, even now, fighting not to cry. What did that mean?

In a flash, the answer came to him, shocking the hell out of him.

Unaware of Cam's thoughts, Vala stared fiercely at the blanket, fighting with all her might not to let loose with the tears that were struggling to break free. This was just plain silly. There was no reason to cry. Cameron was going to be fine. Everything was going to be fine.

Feeling the need to get out of there before she started balling like a baby, Vala made a move to rise. She was stopped by Cameron taking her hand. His other hand reached up and took hold of her chin, tilting her face upward. Against her will, she met his eyes. He was staring at her intently, as if he was trying to peer right into her soul. And then he spoke, four little words that rang through her ears and straight into her heart.

"I love you, too."

Hearing those words, Vala was suddenly sobbing. Cam pulled her down until her head rested on his shoulder.

"I thought you were going to die," she whispered. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"Shh. It's all right. I didn't die, and I'm not gonna leave you. You won't get rid of me that easily."

Vala lifted her head and pressed tear-slicked lips against Cam's. As they drew apart, he brushed the wetness from her face. She gazed into his eyes.

"You love me?" she asked.

"Yes, much to my dismay."

A big smile lit Vala's face. "Well, of _course_ you do. I'm irresistible."

Cam chuckled, then winced at the pain it caused. "Don't make me laugh."

"Sorry."

The pilot grew serious. "And you love me, too."

Vala immediately looked away, shaking her head. "No. I-I-I mean I _do_ have very strong feelings for you. I have become quite fond of you. But—"

"Vala." The tone of Cameron's voice was firm, no-nonsense. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, she did as he commanded.

"Love isn't a bad thing," Cam told her quietly.

The simple statement made a wall inside Vala's heart crumble and fall. Along with it went her refusal to see what had been right before her eyes. She cupped Cameron's face in her hands and pressed another kiss to his lips.

"I _do_ love you," she whispered.

"Well, of _course_ you do," he shot back. "You're not the only one who's irresistible, you know."

Vala began to laugh with pure joy. She ran her gaze over his face, finally letting herself see him with the eyes of a woman in love. She really did love him, with her whole heart. And even better than that, _he_ loved _her_.

"I can't wait for you to get out of here so that I can show you how much I love you," she said with a sexy smile.

"Wow. With that as an incentive, I'll be healed in no time."

"Well, that just might be the case. We put in a call for a healing device." She kissed him a third time.

Smiling, Cam said, "I hope it comes soon."


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

It was with delight that Cam's teammates came to visit him a short while later, but surprise was the dominant emotion in Daniel and Sam when they saw the glow of happiness on his face. It was not something that one would generally see on the features of a man who'd been critically injured. The mystery was solved within a few moments when they saw the look that passed between him and Vala. No one could have missed the love shining in her eyes.

Later that afternoon, a visit to Cameron from Sam found him alone.

"Ah, she finally left, huh?" she said in amusement.

"Yeah. I made her leave when she nearly fell asleep during a conversation. She's probably sacked out in her quarters."

Sam's eyes studied him. "She told you that she loves you."

Cam smiled. "I had to drag it out of her, but, yes, she did, after I told her the same thing."

"I can just imagine how happy you are."

"They were the best words I've ever heard in my life. And to think that I almost made the huge mistake of breaking things off with her."

"So what now?"

"We'll still be taking things one day at a time, although Vala's already talking about moving in together."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

Cam smiled again. "Well, I'm not quite ready to share my apartment on a full-time basis, so she'll just have to wait, although, knowing her as I do, I have no doubt that she'll keep nagging me about it until I finally relent." His gaze sharpened. "While we're on the subject of relationships, there's a question I didn't get a chance to ask you. It's about General O'Neill moving back here. I was wondering if you were happy about that."

"Of course. Daniel, Teal'c and I have all missed having him here."

"That's not really what I meant. I was talking about the thing between the two of you."

"Oh. Everything's good between us about that. Jack is all for my relationship with Daniel, and he's getting back together with his ex-wife. He and I both know that, even if we had gotten together years ago, it probably wouldn't have lasted. Everything worked out for the best."

Cam's smile returned yet again. "Yes, it did."

* * *

It was a couple of hours later when news came that the Jaffa had obtained a healing device. Someone was sent through the gate to get it. Vala and her three able-bodied teammates were waiting in the gate room when it was brought back through, and the former Goa'uld host wasted no time taking it to the infirmary.

Minutes later, Cameron was fully healed. Carolyn told him to go home and relax for the rest of the day. When a knock came on his door not half an hour after he got there, he knew that relaxing was not something he'd be doing.

"I won't even bother asking what reason you gave to the people at the checkpoints this time," he said as he let Vala in. That's all he had the opportunity to say, for his mouth became otherwise occupied.

The foreplay started out frantic, almost desperate, Vala's fears of the past day manifesting themselves in her movements. It was Cam who slowed things down, calming her with his hands, lips and whispered words.

As they made love, Vala gave of herself with a level of completeness that she had never shown before to any man. Every kiss and touch had her love for Cam in it. He soaked it all in and gave his own love back to her.

In the stillness that followed, they held each other close.

"I love you," Cam murmured, kissing Vala's brow.

She tilted her head up and looked at him. "Say it again," she requested. He complied, this time kissing her lips. She snuggled back against him with a happy sigh. "I don't think I will ever get tired of hearing that."

"Well, I sure hope not."

"What about you? Will you ever get tired of hearing me say 'I love you'?"

There was something in the tone of Vala's voice that made Cam tilt her chin up and look into her eyes.

"Vala, are you afraid that I'm going to stop loving you? If so, then you can get that out of your head. It's not going to happen. There's something you need to know. I was wrong when I said that you're not my type. I thought it was true, but I now realize that, all these years, I was mistaken about what kind of woman was right for me. I want a woman who makes me feel alive and energized, who makes me laugh, and smile, and, sometimes, feel like pulling my hair out. I want a woman who isn't afraid to speak her own mind and will stand up and fight for what she wants. I want _you_, Vala, and everything that comes in the package."

Vala stared intently into his eyes, seeing there the truth of his words. It made the last of her doubt and uncertainty melt away. She pulled Cam's mouth down to hers in a long kiss.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips, then smiled, "and everything that comes in the package." She inserted her hand between them and ran her fingers down a tender part of his "package."

Cam gasped at the touch. "That's not what I meant by package, but I'm happy you like it, too."

"Oh, most definitely."

After sharing another kiss with Vala, Cam settled his head back on the pillow. "I have a confession to make. Over this past week, I was considering ending our relationship."

Upset to hear that, Vala asked why.

"Because of what you said, or, rather, what you _didn't_ say when I asked if all I was to you was a sex partner. I was hoping you'd give me some clue that you felt at least a little bit like I did. When you didn't, I decided that I couldn't continue our relationship if you were never going to love me like I love you."

"Cameron, I am so sorry. I was an idiot for acting like I did. I should have told you that I cared for you very much, but I. . . ."

Cam looked at her. "What?"

Vala's eyes dropped from him. "I was afraid."

His studied her face. "Of loving me?"

Vala nodded, still not looking at him. For so much of her life she had been afraid to love, to completely commit herself to someone. She had been hurt too many times by people she cared about. She had come to believe that she needed to be tough, to pretend that she didn't feel things as deeply as she did. She showed a face to everyone she met that was different from the one inside.

But then she met Daniel, and, much against her will, she fell in love with him. But, again, love brought her only pain, so when she began her relationship with Cameron, she had no intention of letting it happen again. She was so determined not to fall in love with Cameron that she refused to see it when she did. Her fear had almost cost her the man who meant more to her than anyone else ever had. She would never make that mistake again.

Vala at last met his eyes. "But that is in the past," she told him.

Cam smiled. "No more fear?"

"No more fear."

"Well, in that case, there is a certain conversation that I need to have with General Landry."

"Yes, there is." Vala raised up off the bed and settled on top of Cam, a sultry smile on her face. "But that, my love, is a conversation for another day."

* * *

When Daniel answered the knock on his door that night, it was to find Sam on his doorstep.

"Hey. I'm sorry for dropping by so late," she said.

Daniel stepped aside and let her in. "No, that's fine. In fact, I was just thinking of calling you."

"Oh?"

"Yes. It's been a few days since we shared a bed, and, well. . . ."

Sam grinned. "You were lonely for me?"

"Desperately."

Sam wound her arms around his neck. "Then I'll have to do something about that," she said before taking his mouth with hers.

Their lovemaking that night was very slow and thorough, each of them wanting to bring as much pleasure to the other as possible. They both knew that the reason was the brush with death that their friend had suffered. They needed to feel alive, the joy of life.

Afterward, they lay quietly in each other's arms. Sam was the first one to speak.

"When we were all afraid that Cam was going to die, one of the thoughts that went through my mind was how it could have been you. If that arrow that nicked you had struck a foot further to the right. . . ."

Daniel's arm tightened around her. "Don't think about it, Sam."

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, Daniel. I don't think I could take it."

Daniel cupped her face. "Sam, stop. You're not going to lose me." He took her hand and pressed it over his heart. "I'm right here, and I have no intention of leaving anytime soon." He kissed her, then tucked her head beneath his chin. His arm began to gently stroke her back, the touch soothing away her bad thoughts. She let out a contented sigh, feeling like she could happily lie there in his arms like that for the rest of her life. More than that, she felt as if this was how it should have been between them all along.

All at once, something came popping into Sam's mind, the memory of the song that they danced to on their third date, the one he hummed into her ear. As the memory came so too did the name of the song and its lyrics. She replayed the first verse in her mind.

I don't know what brought us here  
Something in the stars said you and me  
I don't know where this feeling comes from  
Surely it was meant to be  
For I have known you even in my dreams  
My eyes are open, my heart can see

Sam lifted her head and gazed at Daniel, whose eyes had closed. Though she did not believe in astrology, that this had all been written in the stars, in a very literal sense, it _was_ the stars that brought them together. They met because of the Stargate and became friends while journeying among the stars. And, lying here with Daniel, she actually did feel as if this was meant to be, as if all the dreams she'd had of finding a man to spend her life with were about him.

Sam realized that she truly had been blind, not just about Jack, but also about Daniel. All those years that she loved Jack, she had failed to see what she could have with this man who lay in her arms, that, if she just opened her heart to the possibility, she could have with him all the happiness and emotional fulfillment she had believed a relationship with Jack would give to her.

There are none so blind as those who will not see. How very true that was. But that was in the past. Her eyes had been opened, and her heart could see. And now it was time to tell Daniel something very important.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?" His eyes opened and looked at her, crystal clear and so very blue.

"I have something to tell you."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You know how you said that, if I could never love you the way that you love me, you'd transfer to Atlantis? Well, you can just forget about going there . . . that is unless I'm coming with you."

Daniel's pulse began to rise. He stared at Sam, searching her eyes intently. Almost afraid to breathe, he whispered, "Sam?"

Sam cupped his cheek. "I have fallen in love with you, Daniel, totally, head over heels, crazy in love with you."

As unparalleled joy filled Daniel's eyes, he pulled Sam into his arms and took her mouth in a deep kiss that held all his love in it. It was quite a while before the kiss ended.

"I came here tonight to tell you that," Sam said, "but I should have told you days ago, _weeks_ ago. I don't know why I held back, maybe because, with all the mistakes and confusion over my feelings for Jack, I wanted to be sure. It was cowardly of me, and I'm sorry. The truth is that I knew I was falling for you back when you told me that you'd revealed to Vala what Hathor did to you because it was the only way to get her to open up about the attempted rape. It was such a wonderful and selfless thing to do, and I was so proud of you. Ever since then, that's what I was thinking, that I was falling in love with you. I couldn't see that that wasn't exactly true. I wasn't _falling_ in love, I was _already_ in love, with my whole heart. I realize now that I already loved you when we first made love. I really think that I started falling for you when we shared our first kiss. But I failed to see the whole truth until Cam got hurt and I got to thinking about how I'd feel if you were the one lying in that bed." She brushed a finger across his cheek, her gaze running over his face. "I love you, Daniel, more than I've ever loved anyone in my life."

Daniel brought his mouth back down to Sam's. As he drew back, he smiled into her eyes, the brightest, happiest, most beautiful smile in all the world.

"I love you," he whispered. His smile then changed to a very different one. "And, as soon as this forty-two-year-old body allows me to, I will be showing you how much."

A while later, Daniel did just that, sharing with Sam the sweetest, most exquisite lovemaking that either one of them had ever experienced.

Afterwards, as Sam slept in his arms, Daniel thought about what had led up to this moment, how Sam's realization that one love had ended ultimately resulted in another love beginning. He had to wonder if things had gone differently, if Jack had not chosen to retire when he did, would his love for Sam have always remained unrequited as she continued to long for a man who couldn't be hers?

It really was funny how things worked out sometimes, how one decision could change so much. He wondered if there were other universes out there in which Sam and him were also together. He really hoped so. It made him feel good to think that other Daniels had found the same joy he had.

With that thought in mind, Daniel drifted away into sleep and dreams about Sam and their future together.

* * *

As Cam stood outside General Landry's office, he tried to recall a time when he had felt more nervous, but nothing was coming to mind. What he really wanted to do was turn around and run away, but that he could not do.

Drawing in a deep steadying breath, the lieutenant-colonel knocked on the back door and was told to come in.

"Colonel Mitchell. You're feeling well, I assume."

"Yes, sir. Those Goa'uld healing things do great work."

"Was there something you wished to talk to me about?"

"Um, yes, sir."

Landry gestured toward a chair, and Cam sat down. The moment his butt hit the seat, his brain froze, and all the words he'd practiced over and over again in front of the mirror went right out of it.

"Go ahead, Colonel. I'm waiting."

"Uh, well, you see, sir, it's something of a personal nature, but you need to be made aware of it because it also affects SG-1."

"Go on."

"Um, yes. The truth of it is that Vala and I are in a . . . a relationship of the . . . romantic kind." The words finally out, Cam's stiffened, braced for the human equivalent of a volcanic eruption.

General Hank Landry stared at him for five of the longest, most uncomfortable seconds of the pilot's life. He then opened his mouth and said. . . .

"I know."

Cam blinked, parted his lips, then blinked again. "Y-you do?"

"Yes."

"But how?"

"I am the commander of this base, Colonel, and I like to keep my ears to the ground. So when a certain woman remains glued to the side of a certain seriously injured man, unwilling to even take time out to eat, it's only natural that news of it would reach me. I asked my daughter about it, and she refused to confirm my suspicions, which did just that. Since it was still uncertain if you were going to live, I couldn't very well get angry about it, so I had some time to get used to the idea. Once I knew that you were going to make it, I did some digging and pieced together the fact that you and Miss Mal Doran have been spending quite a bit of time together over the past several weeks, that is if all the excuses she gave for leaving the base were a bunch of malarkey, as I'm guessing they were."

"Um . . . yes, sir." Cam stared at the general. "So does this mean that you're okay with it?"

"I didn't say that, Mitchell. I still don't like it, and I am very unhappy that you took this long to tell me. I seriously considered removing Vala from SG-1, but, to be perfectly honest, yours is probably the only team that would put up with her, and she'd drive everyone nuts just hanging around here. So as long as you two can prove to me that it's not a mistake, I will allow things to remain as they are."

A couple of minutes later, Cam left the office through the door he'd entered, feeling a little numb. Vala, who had been waiting anxiously down the hall came running up to him. Normally, she would have tried to eavesdrop, but she'd been afraid of what she would hear.

"What did he say?" she asked. "I didn't hear any yelling. That is a good thing, isn't it?"

"He already knew."

Vala stared at him in surprise. "He did?"

Cam filled her in on the conversation.

"Then I don't have to leave the team?" Vala asked, a big smile coming to her face.

"Not unless we do something to make him change his mind."

"Then you and I will be perfect angels," Vala declared firmly.

Cam laughed. "Vala, he just wants us to behave, not do the impossible."

Vala pouted at him. "What does that mean? I will have you know that I can be a very good girl, when I put my mind to it."

"I will believe that, Vala, when I see it. I'm not gonna hold my breath."

* * *

Not quite two weeks had passed since Cam and Vala's relationship had been brought out in the open. Not wanting to give the general any reason for removing Vala from the team, they had been on their best behavior while on duty ever since then. Despite her earlier claims to the contrary, this had proven to be quite a challenge for Vala. The only thing that enabled her to succeed was the fact that, now, she could freely spend as many nights as she wanted to with the man she loved – which was almost every night.

Eight days ago, everyone had gotten a huge surprise when Sam was unexpectedly offered the position of the new commander of Atlantis. Daniel broke into laughter upon hearing that, thinking that if he had transferred there, his escape from the woman who was the reason for the transfer wouldn't have lasted long. Then again, if Sam had been in a relationship with Jack, she likely wouldn't have accepted the transfer. Instead, it was her relationship with Daniel that made her turn it down, although, for a while, they did consider transferring together – much to Cam's dismay. In the end, they both decided that the right place for them was here in this galaxy . . . at least for now.

Yet another surprise came from an interesting source. The plants that sprouted from the seeds planted during the wedding ceremony had grown surprisingly quickly. Within a matter of days, they were large enough that they had to be separated into individual pots. The fast growth made Daniel and Sam think about what happened when the entire base was turned into a virtual jungle within a matter of hours by another alien plant, but, thankfully, this growth rate wasn't nearly as fast.

Tiny buds soon appeared all over the plants, and everyone was dying of curiosity to see what would emerge from the buds. That curiosity was satisfied three days ago when every one of the plants bloomed with a spectacular display of flowers. There were six different colors, and Daniel explained that, in a traditional Celtic handfasting ceremony, ribbons of different colors were used, each one having its own meaning. He guessed that, somewhere along the way, the ribbons were replaced by flowers on P8F-081. He then told his team what each color represented. The red flower was for passion, fertility, strength, courage, and vigor. The blue flower stood for tranquility, patience, devotion, and sincerity. The pink one was a wish for love, romance, unity, honor and happiness, the gold one for energy, prosperity and longevity. The white flower stood for spiritual purity, truth, peace and serenity.

It turned out, though, that flowers weren't the only things growing on the plants. One of the civilian scientists had studied horticulture, and when larger buds also appeared, she determined that they were fruit and that the plants would probably become quite large. That, of course, meant that they could not be kept at the SGC and were going to be transported to Area 51, which already had an environmentally protected greenhouse set up for the study of alien plant life. Vala insisted that she and her team be the first ones to taste the fruit when it matured.

All of the teammates were now enjoying dinner together at a restaurant, discussing their plans for the future. Those plans were that the four human members of the team would be going on a vacation together. Teal'c was intending to use the time to visit his son and daughter-in-law.

"I vote for Hawaii," Vala said.

"Hawaii does sound nice," Sam agreed, thinking of long walks on the beach with Daniel.

"I've always wanted to see the Pearl Harbor Memorial," Cam commented.

"And I'd love to see the Puakõ and Pu'u Loa petroglyphs," Daniel added.

"Then it's settled," Vala stated. "We'll go to Hawaii."

Daniel took a sip of his drink. "Speaking of vacations, Jack told me that he and Sara are planning a trip together after escrow on his house closes and he gets all moved in."

Vala smiled. "Things appear to be going quite well for them. That's nice."

"Yes, it is," Sam agreed wholeheartedly.

The conversation went back to the Hawaiian vacation, Daniel, Sam, Cam and Vala chatting animatedly about all the things they'd like to see and do there. As he looked on, a secret smile curved Teal'c's lips. He witnessed Daniel smile lovingly at Sam, a smile that she returned full measure. He watched Cameron laugh about something Vala said and kiss her on the cheek, which brought a big smile to the dark-haired woman's face. They were two couples that, two and a half months ago, no one would ever have believed would come to be, least of all the participants – no one, that is, except for Teal'c. He had known that this was possible, for in his mind was the memory of another time, the fifty years onboard the Odyssey that, for everyone except him, had been undone. How would Colonel Carter, Colonel Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran feel if they knew that this was not the first time their eyes had been opened to the love they could have? How would Daniel Jackson feel if he knew that there was another time when he got the woman he had loved for so long? They were questions that would not be answered, for Teal'c had sworn that he would never reveal those events, unless he had need. Looking at the happy couples, he believed that there would not be such a need.

Then again, you never knew what the future might bring.

THE END

In the Author's Note at the beginning of the story, I said that some things in this universe's version of Unending were very different from the way events happened in the series. You now know what I meant. Daniel and Vala did not become a couple. Instead, Daniel got Sam, and Vala got Cameron.

* * *

So, how many of you were surprised by Landry's reaction to Cam and Vala's relationship? So many people were thinking that he would come totally unglued upon hearing about it that I just had to throw in a curve ball. :-D And then there's Sam, whom a lot of people believed was still totally clueless about her love for Daniel. It turned out that wasn't the case after all.

One more thing. The song verse in this chapter is from the beautiful Kennedy Rose song Born to Give My Love, which was later sung by Martina McBride under the title Born to Give my Love to You.


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